Oliver Wood Fan Fic
by molassesturtle
Summary: Oliver Wood graduated from Hogwarts over four years ago and now plays quidditch with Scotland's national team. But when he's offered a job at Hogwarts, his life changes in ways he'd never imagined. (Complete- please review!)
1. Catching up

Disclaimer: I don't own it. That's why it's called fanfiction in the first place.

Oliver Wood woke up one dull and rainy Saturday morning and looked out the window. Rain would have gotten anyone else down, but not Oliver.  
  
"Perfect conditions for quidditch training" he thought to himself. "If only it were a little windier..."  
  
Oliver was keeper for the Scottish quidditch team. He had been noticed when he was a student at Hogwarts, especially when Gryffindor team won the House quidditch cup. He quickly showered, dressed in his red and yellow quidditch robes, and apparated to the quidditch pitch for practice. He was one of the first ones to arrive for practice. His other teammates began to apparate one by one. When they had all arrived their team captain, Leslie, gave them a pep talk.  
  
"Now team, as you know, we have made it into the semifinals. We stand a decent shot of getting into the World Cup match this year. We did well in the match against France, but there are some things that we need to improve on. Ian and Kenneth, as chasers all three of us need to be more aggressive. Do whatever you have to in order to score. Janet and Doug, I can't stress enough how important it is to try to hit the other team with the bludgers. Logan, just try to find the snitch as quickly as you can. And Oliver, keep up the good job and don't let the other team score. Now as you know, our next match is against the American team and they have a very strong offense. You are going to have your work cut out for you, Wood."  
  
The team trained hard for several hours that day. Leslie put them through all sorts of drills trying to make sure that they were prepared to face the Americans. At the end of practice she reminded them, "Don't forget, all we have to do is get past the Americans and we're in the quidditch world cup match!"  
  
Oliver went home soaking wet, covered with mud and tired, but also very content. He was sure that he would be able to hold off the Americans and that his team would be going to the Final match for the world cup. The next day, Sunday, Oliver was sitting in his living room listening to the Weird Sisters on the wizards' radio station when his owl, Lightning, flew through the window. Lightning was carrying two letters.  
  
The first was a letter from Fred and George Weasley. It read:  
  
"Hey Wood! We heard you made it to the semifinals, congrats! We just opened up our joke shop on Diagon Alley, and business is booming already! You should come down here and visit us. We might even throw in some canary cremes for free! Hope to see ya soon!"  
  
"I haven't seen them in ages! Maybe I'll go see how they're doing later today," thought Oliver.  
  
The second envelope caught his eye. He picked it up and looked at it closely. It looked oddly like the envelopes he used to receive before the start of a new term at Hogwarts. Oliver broke the seal on the back of the envelope and carefully removed the letter. It was written in green and said:  
  
Dear Mr. Wood,  
  
We have quite the situation here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I would like to ask for your help. You see, Madam Hooch agreed to be the referee for the Semifinal match between Spain and Austria earlier this week. All went well until she made a call that Austria did not agree with, and suddenly Madam Hooch vanished! We expect that she will turn up in the Sahara desert in a month or two, and the Ministry of Magic has people looking for her at this very moment. In the meantime, however, we will need someone here to coach quidditch and teach flying lessons. I could think of no finer candidate for the job than you, Mr. Wood. Please reply with an owl as to whether or not you will accept this position.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Oliver looked at the note in disbelief. "They want me to teach at Hogwarts... don't they know that the quidditch world cup tournament is coming up??? Surely they don't expect me to give that up!"  
  
He got up and looked at his calendar. There were 3 weeks until the start of the new term. The timing couldn't be more perfect. There would be just enough time to beat the Americans and go on to the quidditch world cup tournament before the start of the new term on September 1st. Now that he knew that teaching wouldn't interfere with quidditch, Oliver realized that teaching might be a good move for him right now. After the world cup was over quidditch would slow down, and besides that he needed to find a real job. He took out a new sheet of parchment, picked up his eagle feather quill and wrote a quick reply.  
  
Dear Professor Dumbledore,  
  
I would be honored to accept the position that you've offered me. It will be a privilege to help the first years on their way to becoming great quidditch players. See you on September 1st!  
  
Oliver Wood  
  
He gave the note to Lightning to deliver. Then he put on his cloak and apparated to Diagon Alley. Oliver arrived in front of a store that looked new. The sign above the door read Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The outside of the store didn't look any different from the others that lined Diagon Alley. However, knowing Fred and George, the inside would be unlike anything he had ever seen before. Just as he was about to pull the door open, someone inside pushed it open and stepped out onto the street.  
  
"Oliver Wood! How are you? What have you been up to? It has been forever since I saw you last!"  
  
"Hi Angelina! What a nice surprise! What are you doing here?" he asked, a bit startled.  
  
"Oh, I just stopped by to say hi to Fred during my lunch break and make sure that my plans with him for tonight are still on."  
  
"Your plans?" Yes, he and I are dating by the way," she said, and a big smile lit up her face. "Have been for a while actually. He's taking me out somewhere nice tonight, but he won't tell me where. Just told me to wear my dress robes."  
  
"That sounds great. So this is your lunch break... where do you work?"  
  
"At the Ministry of Magic, in the Department for the Recovery of Lost Quidditch Officials."  
  
"Oh, so then I guess you know about Madam Hooch's disappearance?"  
  
"Yes I am one of the people working on her case. Not a trace of her yet, but not to worry. They always turn up eventually... Oh my, look at the time! I'll be late getting back to work if I don't leave now! Well it was good seeing you Oliver. Make sure you check out Fred and George's new stuff, they have really come up with some clever ideas since they got out of school." And with that, Angelina disapparated.  
  
Oliver pulled the door open and stepped inside the Weasleys' joke shop. It reminded him of Zonko's, only the Weasleys had about twice as many different items for sale. He walked up to one shelf stacked with boxes labeled Gred and Forge's Mixed Up Potion. In small print it said "switch bodies with a friend (or enemy) for a day. Sure to mix everyone up!" Another shelf was filled with Canary Cremes and Ton Tongue Taffy. And of course there was the usual assortment of Dung Bombs, Wizard's Crackers, etc. He was looking at a key shrinking kit when he heard some familiar voices behind him. He turned around and there were Fred, George, Ron and Harry.  
  
"Why'd you stay away so long?" asked George.  
  
"Yea, we knew quidditch was your life but we didn't know you would completely forget about everything else after you graduated," said Fred.  
  
"Sorry guys, I just got caught up in everything... It's a big honor and responsibility to be on your country's quidditch team, you know," he replied.  
  
"Well Harry here is on England's quidditch team and he still has time to come around every once in a while," said Ron.  
  
"Really? Well done Harry! Maybe we will end up playing each other for the quidditch world cup," said Oliver. "What are you guys doing here anyhow?"  
  
"Just helping Fred and George out with the shop," said Ron. "Harry's been staying with us for the whole summer. He was going to get an apartment but mum didn't want him staying all by himself for the summer."  
  
"You guys graduated at the end of school term this year, right?" Oliver asked Harry and Ron.  
  
"Yea we did," said Harry.  
  
"Congratulations," said Oliver. "Do you have any plans now?"  
  
"Not really," Harry and Ron said in unison.  
  
Oliver laughed and turned to Fred. "So what's this I hear about you and Angelina?"  
  
Fred's face suddenly turned red, but luckily he was spared having to answer by a group of kids that came in the door.  
  
"Hey Wood, how about we all meet at the Leaky Cauldron for a bite to eat after we close the shop around 5?" George shouted over the loud chatter of the kids that had just come in.  
  
"Alright, see you later!" he yelled back.  
  
As it turned out, only George was able to meet Oliver at the Leaky Cauldron. Fred had to go get ready for his date with Angelina, Harry had quidditch practice, and Mrs. Weasley needed Ron to de-gnome the garden.  
  
After they had placed their order Oliver asked George, "How serious is it between Fred and Angelina?"  
  
"Pretty serious," said George. "Actually, I think the reason Fred is taking her to a nice restaurant tonight is because he wants to propose to her. You didn't hear that from me though," George said with a wink.  
  
"Wow really? Have they been going out ever since that Yule Ball that Hogwarts had the year after I graduated?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"So is there a girl in your life, George?"  
  
"No, and I would ask you the same but I already know the answer. Quidditch is the love of your life," George said with a chuckle.  
  
On Monday through Thursday, the Scottish quidditch team trained like there was no tomorrow. Leslie was obsessively drilling her team and putting them through maneuvers that they had already done a million times. Winning was all that mattered to her, no matter what the cost. She was especially on Logan's case because since he was the seeker, it was pretty much up to him whether they won or lost. She reminded Oliver of himself when he had been captain of Gryffindor's quidditch team at Hogwarts. Oliver felt like he barely had time to eat or sleep between quidditch practices.  
  
At the end of practice on Thursday, Leslie shocked her team by announcing that there would be no quidditch practice on Friday. "I want you all to rest up tomorrow and take it easy before our match against the Americans," she said. "It won't do to have you all falling asleep on your broomsticks while the snitch and the quaffle fly by. I expect to see you all in your quidditch robes and ready to go on Saturday morning. We will meet in the locker room before we go onto the pitch. Well, see you Saturday!"  
  
Oliver apparated to his house, made a quick bite to eat for dinner and then collapsed in his bed, totally exhausted.  
  
On Friday, Oliver woke up at 10:30. He yawned and stretched, then dragged himself out of bed and stumbled toward the kitchen for some breakfast. Lightning was perched on the windowsill looking at him expectantly, and on the table was a letter. He used "accio" to summon all of the ingredients for pancakes, and then put a charm on them so that the pancakes would make themselves while he read his mail.  
  
The letter was from Fred. It said:  
  
Wood,  
  
I've got some wonderful and exciting news for you! I proposed to Angelina last night and she said yes! We haven't really thought about a wedding date yet but of course I will let you know when we decide.  
  
Oliver smiled to himself and put the letter back in the envelope. He was truly happy for his friends.  
  
He was about to tell Lightning that he wouldn't replying and she was free to go when he decided to write a letter to Alicia Spinnet. Alicia had been his best friend and teammate while he was a student at Hogwarts. Since he had graduated, he had neglected all of his friendships because of quidditch and now he wanted to get in touch with people again. He took out some parchment, picked up his quill and began to write:  
  
Dear Alicia,  
  
Hello! Hope everything is going well for you. I am so sorry that I haven't written to you in awhile. Actually I haven't written to anyone in a while. I just wanted to find out how you are and what you've been up to. If you are following quidditch then you probably know that my team is going to play the United States tomorrow for a spot in the world cup tournament. We have today off though, so maybe if you aren't busy later today we could meet somewhere and chat. If not, just send an owl when you get a chance.  
  
Oliver  
  
By this time, his pancakes had made themselves, the spatula had flipped them onto a plate and the syrup was pouring itself over the stack. He handed the letter to Lightning, then picked up his plate and sat down to breakfast.  
  
Later that day, Oliver was playing solitaire with his self-shuffling deck of cards when there was a knock on his door. He opened it up, and there was Alicia Spinnet on his doorstep. "Hiya Oliver! I thought rather than sending an owl I would just stop by and talk to you in person. I'm not imposing, am I?"  
  
"No, not at all!" he said with a hint of surprise in his voice. "Please, come in," and he held the door open for her.  
  
"Oh wow, you have a really nice house!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Thanks," he said lamely. He wasn't sure what to say to that, as nobody had ever complimented his house before. Then again, he didn't have many visitors. "Have a seat," he said, motioning to the plaid sofa in the living room.  
  
"So tomorrow is your semifinal match. If you beat the US you are going to play for the cup," said Alicia.  
  
"Yea, you mean when we beat the US, not if."  
  
"Be careful, Oliver. Overconfidence can get you into trouble. You're not invincible, you know," she warned him. "Who else is playing for a spot in the world cup match?"  
  
"England is playing Spain today. Everyone expects that England will win. Spain is good, but they're no match for England. Especially with Harry on their team."  
  
"Is there anything else going on besides quidditch?"  
  
"Believe it or not, yes. I have been asked to fill in for Madam Hooch as the flying instructor and quidditch coach."  
  
"Oh that's awesome! I bet you'll be a brilliant teacher."  
  
"What's going on with you? Do you have a job?"  
  
"Yea, I'm a writer for the Daily Prophet."  
  
"Wow, that's pretty impressive. Do you like it?"  
  
"Yes, I am an international correspondent so I get to do a lot of traveling."  
  
Oliver felt very shy about asking the next question, but decided to ask anyway. "Are you... ummm... seeing anyone?"  
  
"Actually, no. I prefer it that way. I am free to enjoy my job and I don't have to worry about rushing home to someone every couple of days. How about you?"  
  
"No, as I said in my letter, I let quidditch take over my life. I haven't had much time for anything else."  
  
They continued to chat for a little while. Finally, Alicia glanced at her watch. "Wow, I've been here for nearly 3 hours! I need to go home and pack, the Daily Prophet is sending me off on another assignment. I don't know where yet, I'll find out by owl later this evening." They both stood up. "It's been great seeing you, Oliver. Try to keep in touch this time."  
  
They gave each other a quick hug, and then he opened the door for her. She walked outside, checked that no one was looking and then disapparated.


	2. Quidditch Cup semifinals

Oliver couldn't sleep that night. There was too much adrenaline pumping through his body. He tossed and turned, and finally got up at dawn. He walked into the kitchen to make breakfast, but realized that he felt rather queasy and probably wouldn't be able to eat what he made. So he decided against breakfast. He noticed that there were quite a few letters on the table, so he sat down and read them. They were all good luck wishes from Harry, Fred, George, Ron, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie Bell. After that, he took a shower and put his quidditch robes on. Then he turned on the radio and tried to relax by listening to music. It didn't work. Finally he decided to just apparate to the locker room. Maybe some of his teammates would be there if they were as excited and nervous as he was.  
  
He arrived to find all of his teammates there already. Ian and Kenneth were engaged in a lively game of wizards' chess. Leslie was a nervous wreck, pacing back and forth along one wall of the locker room. Janet, Doug and Logan were using a deck of self-shuffling cards to play poker. Oliver walked over to them and asked them to deal him in next hand. They did, and Oliver proceeded to lose the next several hands quite miserably. Luckily they weren't playing for gold, or he would have ended up several galleons in the hole. After what was really a few hours but seemed like an eternity, one of officials entered the locker room and addressed the Scottish quidditch team.  
  
"Team, get ready to take the pitch. You will be announced in 10 minutes. Good luck today, and remember, whoever wins this match plays for the Quidditch World Cup next Saturday." Then he left. The team grabbed their broomsticks and lined up near the door that led to the pitch.  
  
The last few hours were nothing compared to how long that next 10 minutes felt. Oliver couldn't imagine how they would feel before the match for the quidditch world cup next week if they were already this nervous. Finally, they were announced and walked out onto the pitch. This was the first time that Oliver had seen the American team. Their robes were indigo blue with white stars on the outside, and solid red on the inside. Their seeker, keeper and two of their chasers were all girls. Their beaters and one chaser were guys. Their keeper had a look of authority about her that distinguished her as their captain. He turned his attention to the referee, who was giving last minute instructions. "I want a nice fair game from all of you," the ref was saying. "Now mount your brooms." The snitch and the bludgers had already been released. The ref threw the quaffle into the air, and the game began.  
  
Oliver flew to the goal posts as quickly as he could to defend them. Leslie had taken possession of the quaffle. She sped toward the American keeper and tried to score, but her shot was blocked. America's keeper threw the quaffle to one of their chasers. The Americans wove in and out of the Scottish team, passing the quaffle to each other despite Scotland's every effort to steal it. They took a shot, but Oliver was too quick for them and blocked it. Meanwhile, both seekers were circling above the game searching for the golden snitch. The game progressed with neither side scoring for about an hour. And then, suddenly, the American seeker began streaking vertically toward the ground. Logan saw her and was right behind her, then right beside her. They neared the ground, but neither showed any sign of stopping. Logan was looking frantically but didn't see the snitch anywhere. He realized just before he ran straight into the ground that the American seeker was just faking him out in hopes of injuring him. The American seeker pulled out of the dive right at the last second, and then shot straight back up into the air. Oliver saw what happened and his heart sank. The Americans had a superior seeker, which spelled almost certain doom for his team.  
  
Leslie saw what happened and called a time out. Logan was disoriented but awake when his team reached him. "Logan, are you alright? Can you hear me?" asked Leslie.  
  
"Yea I hear you. What happened to me?"  
  
"That horrible American seeker faked you out and you hit the ground in a full dive. Can you still play?"  
  
"Yes I think so."  
  
"Alright, just do your best and try not to hit the ground like that again."  
  
Their time out was over, and they mounted their brooms once again.  
  
Both sides tried desperately to score, but it was no use. Both teams had superior keepers, and nothing was getting past them. And then about three hours into the game, the Scottish team got a huge break. Doug sent a bludger at the American keeper at the same time as Ian tried to score. She blocked the shot, but never saw the bludger coming. It hit her in the head and knocked her unconscious. She fell to the ground with a thud. Scotland's fans cheered wildly in the stands. Then, one of the female chasers suddenly assumed the same air of authority that the other girl had. "Plan B!" she yelled loud enough for the whole team to hear. She moved to the position of keeper, leaving 2 chasers. The others kept their positions.  
  
The game progressed for another hour with no sign of the snitch and neither side scoring. And then Janet managed to take out another American player. She was aiming for a chaser, but one of the beaters got in the way. The bludger hit him in the chest. He doubled over in pain and flew to the ground. Still, the Americans didn't call a time out. "Plan C!" yelled the girl who was now playing keeper. This time, their male chaser flew to the ground, took the beater's bat from him, and flew back up into the game.  
  
"How many plans can they possibly have?" Oliver wondered.  
  
The Americans were now playing a defensive game. The only way they would win would be if they caught the snitch, but that was still a very real possibility. And even with two chasers gone, the Scottish team still couldn't score against the Americans. Then, the unthinkable happened. The one American chaser still in the game stole the quaffle from Kenneth and headed toward Oliver as fast as her broom would take her. She looked as though she would aim for the far left hoop, but she changed position at the last minute and shot for the far right hoop. Oliver tried but couldn't get there in time. She had scored against him. In that moment, he both hated her and admired her. He couldn't help but notice her then. She was a pretty girl, with long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and denim blue eyes. Other guys might not be able to pick her out of a crowd, but he knew that he would never forget her. She was, after all, the girl who scored against him.  
  
It was now 6 hours into the game. The Americans were still holding their own, and their goal was still the only one scored in the whole game. Suddenly, Doug became the hero of all of Scotland. He hit a bludger straight at the American seeker, and his aim was true. He hit the seeker in the lower back, nearly unseating her from her broom. She screamed in pain and directed her broom toward the ground, trying very hard not to fall off. The Americans in the stands were booing and hissing, while Scotland's fans were almost delirious with joy.  
  
"Now we're bound to win," thought Oliver. "They can't possibly have a backup plan for this..."  
  
But he was wrong. Their last chaser, the girl who had scored against him, flew above the game and began searching for the snitch. They now had only a keeper, a seeker and two beaters. America's only goal was to find the snitch while protecting their seeker and keeping Scotland from scoring. And then it happened. Logan was speeding through the air as fast as his firebolt would go, his hand outstretched in front of him. The American seeker was right behind him, and then beside him. They circled the pitch side by side, both trying to catch the snitch. They were both only inches from it with their hands outstretched, and then they could nearly touch it...  
  
The rest of the game completely stopped as everyone turned their attention to the two seekers battling each other for the snitch. They raced halfway around the pitch, and then they both stopped. The game was over. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see who had caught the golden snitch. After what was really only about two seconds but seemed like forever, the American seeker raised her hand high above her head and Oliver caught a glimpse of the snitch between her fingers. The American fans went absolutely wild in the stands, setting off Filibuster's fireworks and waving American flags. From somewhere he heard the announcer saying "USA wins! 160 to zero!"  
  
He felt absolutely crushed. He wouldn't be playing for the Quidditch World Cup this year. The only thing he had left to look forward to was teaching at Hogwarts in about two weeks. He was suddenly very glad that he had accepted the position there.  
  
The post-game locker room atmosphere wasn't a very happy one for the Scottish team. They were all feeling extremely disappointed in themselves. When they had all shuffled miserably into the locker room, Leslie addressed them.  
  
"You did your best today. I couldn't have asked for more from you. We took down almost half of their team, for crying out loud! But they were extremely well prepared, and it paid off for them in the end. I just want you to know that it was a pleasure playing with you this year and that I am very proud of each of you. Well, take care in the off season everyone. I'll send you an owl in October when it's time to start practicing again." She turned to go.  
  
"Wait!" yelled Ian and Kenneth together.  
  
"Well, you know what they say... misery loves company," said Ian.  
  
"And we're all miserable," Kenneth added.  
  
"So, why don't we all head down to the pub and be miserable together? It beats being miserable alone. Besides, I bet that's where we were all heading anyhow," said Ian.  
  
"Why don't we all change and meet back here in about 10 minutes?" suggested Janet.  
  
The team agreed, and in 10 minutes they left the locker room together to hit the pub.  
  
The team walked into town and went into the pub together. Like the Leaky Cauldron in London, this pub was only visible to people who were looking for it. Muggles walked past unaware that it even existed. The team chose a table in the back corner and ordered large bottles of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey all around. They were drinking and talking and having a generally good time. The pub became more and more crowded as quidditch fans looked for a place to chill after watching the game. After they had been there a while, the door to the pub opened and in walked the American team. They were all wearing matching red nylon jogging pants and blue tee-shirts with little white stars on them. There were people on either side of their captain, helping her keep her balance. Oliver remembered that she had been hit in the head with a bludger and was probably still a bit dizzy. He was amazed that she was out and about at all, considering that one time he had taken a bludger to the head and was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts for a week. Their seeker also needed help walking, seeing as she had been hit in the back. The injured beater appeared to be ok now. The Americans chose a table not too far from where the Scottish team was sitting.  
  
"Oh great!" said Logan and rolled his eyes. "We come here to relax and now we have to hear them gloating all night!"  
  
The Americans were oblivious to the fact that they were sitting near the Scottish team. They all asked for different drinks and were soon chatting and having a good time. After a while the captain asked for a bottle of champagne and they had a toast.  
  
"To us, for our magnificent victory today!" she said rather loudly.  
  
"And for good luck in next weekend's match!" added one of their beaters.  
  
Then they raised their glasses and then sipped their champagne. Both teams talked amongst themselves for most of the evening. After a while though, one of the Americans glanced over to where Oliver's team was sitting and recognized them. She said something to one of her teammates and glanced over again. Pretty soon the whole team was glancing over at them, and Ian noticed.  
  
"They have some nerve, sitting there and talking about us and staring! As if we wouldn't notice!" he said indignantly.  
  
Then the American captain got up out of her seat with some help from the uninjured beater and walked over to the Scottish team.  
  
The Scottish team watched her approach. She was really a very pretty girl with long blonde hair and a warm smile. She stopped at their table and said "Hi, my name's Sonia. You probably guessed that I'm the captain of America's team. I just wanted to say that you guys played really well today. You were very worthy opponents, and I wouldn't have been too upset if you had won. If fact, we really weren't expecting to win. We didn't think we had a shot at getting into the semi-finals, let alone making it to the final match. We have been the underdogs the whole way through."  
  
The Scottish team just stared at her. None of them were sure of where this was going or what they were supposed to say.  
  
"Anyway," she continued, "because we didn't think that we were going to be in the final match, we all bought tickets for it. Obviously we have no use for them now, so we thought that maybe you guys would like to come and watch the game. If you want these tickets, they're yours." She pulled them out of her pocket and held them out for the Scottish team to see.  
  
"Wow, that's really nice of you," said Leslie.  
  
"Well I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Oliver. "I'll take a ticket if you don't mind."  
  
Sonia handed him one of the seven tickets. He looked at it a minute and then looked up at her. "These are box seats!" he exclaimed. "You must have paid a fortune for them! Are you sure you want to just give them away?"  
  
"Of course she's sure!" Logan cut in. "And I'll take one too, please."  
  
Soon Sonia had given out all of the tickets. Scotland may have lost to the Americans, but they were all die-hard quidditch fans. They weren't about to miss the quidditch world cup match, especially when they could have box seats for free.  
  
"Thanks for the tickets Sonia," said Leslie. "And good luck next week."  
  
"Thank you. Enjoy your evening!" Sonia replied, and walked back to her own table, leaning on the beater for support. 


	3. Quidditch Cup finals

The quidditch matches between England & Spain and Scotland & America were on the front page of the Daily Prophet the next day. There was a photo of the American back-up seeker holding the snitch triumphantly above her head on one side of the page. She turned her broomstick around to show off the snitch to the crowd in the picture. On the other side was a photo of Harry Potter in a similar pose, grinning from ear to ear. Oliver read the article as he ate breakfast. England had virtually crushed the Spanish team on Friday. England was expected to win the Quidditch World Cup, but then again, America had been the underdog the whole way through. Oliver wondered if America might pull through once again for a win.  
  
He was sitting in his living room listening to the radio later that afternoon when suddenly, there were several owls flying around his kitchen with letters. One by one, they dropped their letters on the table and flew back out the window. He opened up the first letter. It was a sympathy note from George and said,  
  
"Wood, I just read the Daily Prophet and saw the bad news. Sorry to hear about your loss. I hope that you are alright and that you're not taking this too hard."  
  
The other letters were from his other friends, and there was even one from his parents. They all said basically the same thing.  
  
"Geez, you'd think someone had just died the way they all talk!" he thought.  
  
The next few days passed pretty uneventfully. Oliver spent most of his time packing his belongings into his trunk and getting ready to go to Hogwarts. On Thursday he decided to go to Diagon Alley to get some things that he would need for his job at Hogwarts. He apparated there and ended up in front of Madam Malkin's robe store. He needed to get some new robes for teaching, including referee's robes. He went inside and Madam Malkin greeted him. Then he stood on a stool while her measuring tape took his measurements and she began browsing through a rack of men's robes.  
  
"What is it that you're looking for, Mr. Wood?" she inquired.  
  
"Well, I need referee robes. I'm going to be the new quidditch coach at Hogwarts."  
  
"Excellent! I have just the thing." She pulled out a white and black striped robe. The measuring tape had finished measuring him, and a quill was now writing down his measurements down on a piece of parchment. "Is there anything else?"  
  
"Perhaps just a set of robes for everyday wear. Something red if you have it," he said. Red was his favorite color.  
  
"Of course. You know, teachers tend to wear dark colors. Not that you have to, but here I have a nice navy blue set of robes..."  
  
At this Oliver thought of Lockhart and almost laughed aloud. Lockhart had been his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher when he was a sixth year. He had always dressed a bit extravagantly. "Maybe you're right. I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb. Blue it is."  
  
"Very well, Mr. Wood. Will there be anything else?"  
  
He thought for a moment. He hadn't bought dress robes since he was a seventh year. He'd needed them for Hogwarts' graduation ceremony. He couldn't imagine what he would need them for, but something in the back of his mind was telling him to get new ones. "I think I'll get some new dress robes while I'm here. And I definitely want red for those," he said.  
  
"How about this?" she asked, holding up a set of robes. They were perfect. There was nothing girly about them, which was rare for dress robes. They were bright apple red, simple but sophisticated.  
  
"Perfect."  
  
"Your things will be ready a little later. Come back for them in a few hours," she said with a smile.  
  
Since he had time to kill, Oliver decided to go visit Fred and George in their joke shop.  
  
Oliver walked up to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, opened the door and went inside. There were lots of kids inside stocking up on prank materials before going back to school. He could see that Fred and George had their hands full, so he decided to just get a box of Filibusters fireworks and go. He got up to the register to pay for his fireworks, and Fred waited on him.  
  
"Oliver Wood!" he said in a scolding voice. "Trying to sneak out without even saying hello! Honestly, what kind of a friend are you?!" he finished with a wink.  
  
"Well you are really busy and I didn't want to keep you from your customers..."  
  
"Nonsense!" said George, looking up after hearing Oliver's voice. "We always have time for a good chat!"  
  
Meanwhile Fred opened a door that led to a room in the back of the shop. "Ron! Harry! Get out here and help some customers why don't you! George and I have some important business to attend to."  
  
Harry and Ron emerged from the small back room and traded places with Fred and George. "Step into our office, Oliver," said Fred with a grin. Fred motioned for Oliver to have a seat, and George shut the door behind them.  
  
"We're really sorry to hear that you lost the quidditch match," said Fred.  
  
"Yea we know how disappointed you must be," added George. "Remember at Hogwarts how upset you were if we lost a match?"  
  
"And those pep talks you always gave us?" Fred chimed in.  
  
"And how you told Harry to get the snitch or die trying?" George said with chuckle. All three of them started laughing.  
  
"Those were great times," said Oliver. "But I have grown up a little since then. Quidditch isn't life or death for me anymore. I am actually OK with not winning."  
  
Fred and George just looked at him with "who-are-you-trying-to-fool" looks.  
  
"I'm serious!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Uh-huh," said Fred.  
  
"Sure, then what else do you have planned if quidditch isn't everything?" countered George.  
  
"I'm teaching at Hogwarts this year. Well, filling in for Madam Hooch actually. I'm waiting for Madam Malkin to finish my new robes. I have to pick them up later."  
  
"See! Quidditch IS your life! You can't even get a teaching job that isn't related to quidditch!" said Fred with a grin, and they all laughed.  
  
"Have you and Angelina set a date for your wedding yet?" Oliver asked Fred.  
  
"No, but I'll let you know when we do," Fred replied.  
  
Then the office door opened and Ron poked his head in. "Guys we really need some help out here. We can't keep up with all of the people!" he said.  
  
"Alright, don't get your panties up in a bunch. We're coming," said George.  
  
"See you later Oliver!" said Fred and George in unison.  
  
Oliver left the store and went back to Madam Malkin's shop for his robes. He then apparated home and continued packing.  
  
Oliver really didn't have much to do other than pack until Saturday. He woke up bright and early on Saturday morning and apparated to the quidditch stadium. He entered the stadium and looked around until he found his section, then asked an usher where exactly his box was. On the way there he ran into the Weasley family plus Angelina and Hermione.  
  
"Hey, I didn't know all of you were coming!" he said in surprise. "It's great to see you all!"  
  
"Hello Oliver! It's great to see you too," said Mr. Weasley. "Where are you sitting?"  
  
"My quidditch team has box seats together."  
  
"Box seats!" cried Angelina. "I'd do anything for those! How did you get them?"  
  
"It's a long story," Oliver said. "Anyone have any predictions about the game today?"  
  
"Me and Fred do," said George. "We say America wins, but Harry gets the snitch."  
  
"Another of those long-shot predictions, eh?" said Oliver. "Well you guys were right four years ago when you bet that Ireland would win but Krum would catch the snitch for Bulgaria. But I don't think that you guys are gonna get lucky twice."  
  
"Luck has nothing to do with it. It's all skill," said Fred.  
  
Oliver laughed. "If you guys get this one right, I think I'm going to recommend to Dumbledore that you two replace Professor Trelawney in divination. You've probably got more ability to see the future than she does anyhow."  
  
After he was done talking to the Weasley clan, Oliver found the entrance to his box and climbed the stairs. His teammates were already there, talking excitedly about what they thought would happen in the match.  
  
"As I told you before we played against them, America has a really strong offense. We have an unusually strong defense though, so we were able to keep them from scoring for most of the game," Leslie was saying. She looked up and smiled at Oliver as she said the last part.  
  
"England is really good though. Not only have they made it this far, they've pulverized every team that they've played so far. I don't think America stands a chance," said Kenneth.  
  
"I think it will come down to whoever catches the snitch, just like it did in our game against America," said Doug.  
  
"Have a seat Oliver, the game is about to begin!" said Janet excitedly.  
  
Someone from the Ministry of Magic was announcing the game that day. Ludo Bagman had announced the last Quidditch World Cup tournament, but he had fled the country after losing a sizable bet to some goblins that same year.  
  
"Welcome, witches and wizards, to the final match of the Quidditch World Cup Tournament! As is our usual custom, each country participating in the match has brought magical creatures from their respective countries which you will have a chance to see before the start of the match. And now, let the festivities begin!"  
  
As the announcer finished speaking, the English team walked onto the field in red robes with St. George's cross on the back, broomsticks in hand. They walked off to the side of the pitch and stood on the sideline. Behind them came a very large group of centaurs. Centaurs were found in many parts of the world, but this type was special to England. They were very good at astrology, using the stars and the planets to see the future. Some of the centaurs were carrying spheres of various sizes, and others were carrying crystals that glowed brightly even though it was daylight. The centaurs with spheres arranged themselves so that they made a moving model of the solar system, and the ones with crystals formed constellations. One centaur stood alone at the front of the group.  
  
"We centaurs are one with the universe. We interpret the movement of the planets. We have seen what the stars have to say. They say that England will triumph!"  
  
Everyone who was rooting for England cheered very loudly at this. The people who were cheering for America were suddenly wondering why they would do something so foolish as to cheer for America in the first place when the centaurs were so clearly right. Then the centaurs left the field and the people began to come to their senses again.  
  
"Wow, that was an odd feeling," remarked Doug.  
  
"It was those crystals," said Oliver. "Whatever they were, they must have a certain amount of mind control, like the veela."  
  
After the centaurs had cleared the field, the Americans walked onto the field in robes of blue with white stars, lined with red and white stripes. The team stood on the sideline opposite the English team. Behind them came three figures. One was a gigantic man in overalls leading an enormous blue ox. Another was a tall American cowboy with a ten-gallon hat and leather vest and chaps, riding a bucking bronco and using a live rattlesnake as a whip. The third was an average-sized, barefoot old man wearing old sacks for clothes and a tin pan for a hat. He carried a large bag filled with something that Oliver couldn't really see. He grabbed his binoculars to take a better look.  
  
"Apple seeds? Why in the world does that old guy have apple seeds?" he wondered out loud.  
  
"I know who they are! They're American legends!" cried Janet. "Even American muggles know about them, but of course they don't believe that they exist. That large man there is Paul Bunyan and that's Babe, his blue ox. He's a giant. That one there is Pecos Bill, and his horse is called Widowmaker. Wild man, that one. He was raised by coyotes. I think he's a parselmouth, how else would he be holding a snake like that without being bitten? And that last man is called Johnny Appleseed. He walks all over America scattering apple seeds wherever he goes. He tries to grow lots of apple trees so that nobody in America goes hungry if they have their fill of apples. He's got good intentions, but he's a bit off his rocker if you ask me."  
  
Paul Bunyan walked to the middle of the pitch with Babe and addressed the stadium full of people. We are Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed, American legends. Our characteristics are present in each and every member of America's quidditch team. They are hard working, determined, enduring, and are not afraid to let their wild side show every once in a while. And they too will become living legends when they win the quidditch world cup today!"  
  
Then Johnny Appleseed dropped a single seed from his bag to the ground. The seed immediately sprouted an apple tree covered in apples. The tree shook its branches and began to shower the audience with ripe, juicy apples. The American fans were cheering loudly as the legends left the field, and everyone was enjoying the apples that were still being launched into the stands.  
  
After some wizards from the Ministry of Magic removed the apple tree from the quidditch pitch, the referee came onto the field and the two teams took their positions. "Good luck to you all. May the best team win," said the referee.  
  
He released the bludgers and the snitch, and then threw the quaffle into the air and the game began. Oliver saw Harry zoom up high above the rest of the game to look for the snitch with the American seeker right behind him. Sonia had sped to the American goal posts as fast as her broom would take her in case England got first possession of the quaffle. However, the American team took first possession of the quaffle and flew toward England's goal posts. England's keeper tried to get to the goal posts to defend them, but the American team was a step ahead. Two of the chasers blocked his path while another, the girl who had scored against Oliver, dodged the bludgers and the English chasers to score the first goal of the game.  
  
All of this happened in just a few seconds. The game was moving so quickly that the announcer barely had time to say the last name of the player in possession of the quaffle or what was going on. The English team took the quaffle and turned toward the American goal posts, but one of the American chasers stole the quaffle and scored again. Within the first hour of the game, America's amazingly strong offense had scored 15 goals while England had only managed to get the quaffle past Sonia twice. Harry and the American seeker were still sitting high above the rest of the game, searching for the snitch.  
  
Suddenly, through his binoculars, Oliver saw something gold glinting near the ground in the middle of the pitch. Apparently he wasn't the only one, because a collective gasp was heard around the stadium as several people saw it at once. Harry and the American seeker saw it too. They both sped toward it on their broomsticks. The excitement of spotting the snitch was enough to distract the English keeper for a few seconds, but it was all that the Americans needed to score another goal.  
  
Harry and America's seeker were both headed straight toward the ground in a vertical dive. They glanced at each other for a moment, neither one backing down. They both pulled out of the dive at the last possible second just as the snitch decided to move back up in the air. While all of this was happening, the Americans got the quaffle past England's keeper yet again.  
  
The seekers were closing in on the snitch. They both had their hands outstretched, straining to try to get it before the other did. Suddenly, a bludger came seemingly out of nowhere toward the two seekers. It narrowly missed Harry, but it hit the American seeker's shoulder. She kept going, but the hit had cost her a few valuable seconds that enabled Harry to get ahead of her. Harry's hand closed around the snitch. But just before it did, the American chasers managed to score one last goal against England.  
  
"Fred and George have nailed it again," Oliver thought incredulously. It had been a very close match, but America had done it. The underdogs emerged victorious yet again.  
  
The American fans were yelling and cheering even louder than they had at the previous match, if that was possible. Filibuster's fireworks went up from the stands in abundance as the American team landed on the ground. Harry, meanwhile, still had the snitch in his hand with a look of shock on his face. He couldn't believe that the Americans had managed to score 3 goals in that short period of time for a win. He finally landed and handed the snitch to the ref so that he could put it away. The American team was high-fiving and slapping each other on the back, being careful not to further injure their seeker of course. They all walked together to the center of the field, where someone from the Ministry of Magic was waiting to hand them the cup.  
  
"I don't believe it!" cried Kenneth. "This is an outrage! It's a scandal! England has kicked butt all season! They should have won!"  
  
"Well if you think about it," said Leslie, "America has been kicking butt all season too. The only difference is that nobody was expecting America to kick butt."  
  
"What I can't believe is that for the last two quidditch world cup matches, one team has caught the snitch but the other has won the match. I mean, really, what are the odds of that?" Oliver asked in amazement.  
  
"I don't know," replied Ian. "But anyhow, I think I am gonna try to get out of here now, before I get caught up in all of the gallivanting crowds. I don't really wanna stick around for the American after-party."  
  
The rest of the team agreed with him. They said their goodbyes and disapparated.


	4. Hogwarts

Two days later, on Monday, Oliver woke up and headed straight to the kitchen for breakfast. Lightning was waiting for him with a letter. He picked it up and saw the green ink on the envelope, and saw the Hogwarts crest on the back. He tore it open and read the letter inside. It said:  
  
Dear Mr. Wood,  
  
You are requested to report for new teacher orientation on Thursday, August 28th at noon. Please apparate to Hogsmeade and wait in front of the Three Broomsticks pub. Hagrid will meet you and bring you to the school in a carriage. As you know, it is not possible to apparate and disapparate on Hogwarts grounds. As our flying instructor, you will not need to bring extra materials with you other than your own broomstick, clothing and personal items. We look forward to your arrival here.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Headmaster  
  
Oliver spent the rest of that day and the next two days finishing up his packing and getting his house ready to leave. He got Lightning's cage out of the cupboard and put it with his trunk. Here he let her be outside most of the time, but he would need somewhere for her to stay at school. He didn't really want her to stay outside at Hogwarts with the dark forest being so close.  
  
Thursday arrived much faster than Oliver thought it would. He got up around 9:00 and got dressed, then checked his house to make sure that everything was in order for him to leave. He leaned out the window and called for Lightning to come in so that he could shut her in her cage. Around 11:00 he put on his traveling cloak, and then gathered his things together and apparated to the Three Broomsticks. He planned to get a bite to eat for brunch there before going outside to wait for Hagrid.  
  
At the Three Broomsticks, Oliver got a butterbeer and pancakes, his favorite breakfast. He fed little bits of pancake to Lightning as he ate. There were a lot of people outside walking around. Since Hogsmeade was an all-wizarding town, the people could come and go as they pleased without worrying about whether any muggles were watching or not. Most of the people seemed to be going into either Zonko's joke shop or Honeyduke's sweet shop. Those had been his favorite stores to visit when he was a student at Hogwarts. He finished his breakfast at a quarter to twelve and lugged his heavy trunk back outside, being careful not to dump Lightning off of the top.  
  
Oliver finally managed to get his trunk back outside and sat down on it to wait for Hagrid. He looked around and saw a girl to his right sitting on a trunk as well. She too had an owl. His Lightning was a white eagle owl with black spots, but hers was a tawny owl with a tan-colored face. She was wearing a light gray traveling cloak and wore her long, wavy, golden blonde hair down. He could see a set of royal blue robes peeking out from under her cloak.  
  
She checked her watch and then began looking around again. She also seemed to be waiting for something, but while she was waiting she seemed to be drinking in her surroundings. This was probably her first time in Hogsmeade. Oliver wondered where she was from and who or what she was waiting for. Just then, he saw a carriage turn a bend in the road from Hogwarts and approach the town. He stood up so that he would be ready when Hagrid arrived. He looked over at the girl and noticed that she too had stood up and was gathering up her things.  
  
Hagrid brought the carriage to a stop in front of the Three Broomsticks. He climbed down from the driver's seat and turned to Oliver.  
  
"Hello Oliver!" he said in a booming voice. "It's good to see ya again!"  
  
"It's great to see you too, Hagrid. I trust you've been taking good care yourself."  
  
"Of course, of course." Hagrid then turned to the blonde-haired girl. "And you must be Adrianna Brighton," he said.  
  
"Yes, I am. Hagrid, I presume?" she asked a little shyly. Oliver immediately noticed her American accent.  
  
"That'd be me. It's nice to meet you, professor," he said.  
  
"Nice to meet you too," she said, shaking his enormous hand.  
  
"Well, I don't s'pose you two've met. This is Oliver Wood, and this is Prof. Brighton," said Hagrid, introducing them.  
  
"Please, call me Adrianna. Professor sounds too formal," she said.  
  
Oliver shook her hand and looked up at her. This was the first time he had really gotten a good look at her. He saw her pretty face with the deep denim blue eyes framed by her golden blonde hair and recognized her immediately. She was the American chaser who had scored against him in the semi-final match.  
  
Hagrid opened the door to the carriage for Oliver and Adrianna. "You two can get in while I put yer stuff on top o' the carriage," he said. Oliver climbed in first, then turned around and offered his hand to Adrianna to help her up. She took his hand and climbed in, then sat down in the seat across from him. Hagrid handed their owls to them through the open door. "Didn't think ya'd want them bouncin aroun on top o' the carriage," he explained and shut the door.  
  
"I know you. You're a chaser on the American quidditch team," Oliver blurted out.  
  
"Yea, I seem to be recognized a bit more since we won the cup. I guess it's all part of my 15 minutes of fame. You look familiar though, too. I know you weren't on England's team. Must be Scottish. Keeper, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, I'm surprised you remember me. Is it safe to assume that you're teaching here this year?"  
  
"Yea I'm teaching Muggle Studies. How about you?"  
  
"Flying instructor and quidditch coach."  
  
"Oh that's so exciting! I wish I could do that... of course, I'm happy with any position at Hogwarts. It's the best school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. I loved my school in the US, but I wish I could have gone to Hogwarts. Did you go here?"  
  
"Yes, it's terrific. I think you're going to like it here."  
  
"What's your owl's name? Mine's Sunrise, or Sunny for short," said Adrianna.  
  
"Mine's Lightning," said Oliver. "What kind of family are you from?"  
  
"I'm muggle born. My mom and dad almost didn't let me go to a wizarding school. They said it was against our religion."  
  
"Really? How did you convince them to let you go?"  
  
"I told them that I could be a witch and still be a Christian. I told them that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And when that didn't work, I begged and pleaded and cried until they finally let me go."  
  
Oliver laughed. "And what do they think about you teaching at a wizarding school?"  
  
"They ummm... well I didn't exactly tell them. I just told them that I got a job offer from a private school in Scotland and that it would be a good thing for me to do right now. I went to a muggle college to become a teacher after I graduated from wizarding school, so they pretty much expected me to get a teaching job somewhere. I figured the further away, the better if I was going to teach at a wizarding school."  
  
"Do they know that you play quidditch?"  
  
"No. I forgot to mention that to them as well. What kind of family are you from?" she asked, changing the subject.  
  
"I'm from a pure blood family. My parents were really excited for me when I got my Hogwarts letter."  
  
Adrianna was about to say something else to him, but just then the carriage stopped and she closed her mouth and stood up. Hagrid opened the carriage door and helped them both step down, then handed their owls to them again.  
  
"Go on inside, Professor Dumbledore'll be waitin' for ya. I'll bring yer things up in a few minutes."  
  
Oliver and Adrianna walked up the gray stone stairs and entered the massive doors of the castle together.  
  
Professor Dumbledore was waiting inside the double doors waiting to greet them.  
  
"Hello, Adrianna and Oliver. Welcome to Hogwarts. Or, in Oliver's case, welcome back to Hogwarts!" he said, shaking hands with them. "Adrianna, I've arranged for Professor McGonagall to give you a tour of the castle and grounds, and then you will have the rest of the afternoon to get unpacked and settled in. Dinner will be served in the Great Hall at 6, and we will have our first staff meeting immediately afterwards. Adrianna, will you kindly wait here for Professor McGonagall? Oliver, I trust that you remember where to find Madam Hooch's office. There is a tapestry hanging on one of the walls with a door behind it. That is the entrance to your living quarters. I believe I have the key here somewhere... ah yes, here it is. Now off you go. I will see you at dinner, I've just received an owl from Fudge and it seems he's got himself in a bind and needs a bit of advice. Again." And Dumbledore turned and left.  
  
"Well, I'll see you at dinner. Enjoy your tour!" said Oliver and headed up the stairs to find his new quarters.  
  
Oliver easily found what had been Madam Hooch's office. He tried the key, but it wouldn't work in the lock so he ended up using "alohamora" to unlock the door. He made a mental note to himself to ask Dumbledore about the key in the staff meeting. He then crossed the room and pulled back the tapestry, revealing the door to his rooms. He tried the key, and this time it worked.  
  
He opened the door and looked around him in amazement. He had been expecting just a couple of small rooms. While there were only a few rooms, they were anything but small. The room that he walked into was a rather large living room. There was a burgundy area rug on the stone floor, and a plaid sofa sat in front of the fireplace. There were two plaid armchairs that matched the sofa and sat on either side of it. There was a rectangular coffee table in the middle of the rug. On one side of the room there was a huge window that looked out onto the lake. Oliver sat Lighting's cage on the coffee table and looked around some more.  
  
Off of that room there were two doors. One led to the bedroom, which contained a beautifully carved, queen-sized four poster bed. It was covered in a bright red bedspread and had a matching red canopy and curtains around it. There was a carved bedside on either side of the bed, and a huge wardrobe to put his clothes in. Even the bathroom was extravagant. There was a white marble toilet and sink, and a sunken white marble jacuzzi tub that was the size of a small swimming pool.  
  
Just then, there was a knock on his door. It was Hagrid with his trunk. "Where would ya like yer things, Oliver?"  
  
"In the bedroom is fine. Thanks, Hagrid."  
  
"Ain't a problem."  
  
Oliver unpacked his clothes and hung them in the wardrobe. He carried his books into his adjoining office and put them on the shelf along the wall. The he let Lighting outside to stretch her wings for a while.  
  
"Make sure that you're back by the time it gets dark," he told her sternly before opening the window.  
  
After that he really had nothing to do until dinner, so he walked down to the lake. He saw there for a while and tickled the giant squid's tentacles every now and then. After a while he glanced at his watch.  
  
"Ten to six already! I'll be late if I don't hurry, and what a great first impression that will make!"  
  
He ran back up the steps and through the castle. Since he was running late, he decided to take one of the hidden staircases. He nearly got his leg trapped in the trick step that he forgot about, but managed to free himself and kept running. He slowed down as he approached the Great Hall so that he wouldn't be out of breath when he got there. 


	5. New teacher orientation

To his relief, he wasn't the last one to arrive. There were still 3 empty seats around the table. He sat down in one of them and pulled in his chair. Just as he did, a girl that looked about the same age as him walked in briskly and took a seat across the table from him. She was the most beautiful girl Oliver had ever seen. She had long, silvery blonde hair that looked as soft and shimmery as silk. She looked just like a veela. A couple of minutes later, Professor Trelawney walked in and took the last seat a few places down from Oliver.  
  
"So nice of you to join us, Sibyl," said Professor Snape a little sarcastically.  
  
She chose to ignore him and instead turned her attention to Professor Dumbledore.  
  
"Now that we have all arrived, let's eat!" said Professor Dumbledore, and several overflowing dishes appeared in front of them.  
  
Dinner lasted for about an hour. Nobody really said much during the meal because they were all busy enjoying the delicious food. When everyone was finished, the entire staff left the Great Hall together and headed for the staff room. They filed into the room a few at a time, with most of them standing since there were only a few chairs. Professor Dumbledore made his way to the front of the room.  
  
"Everyone form a circle," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I want you all to be able to see each other."  
  
After they had formed a circle he said, "Now, we are going to have a little icebreaker since we have a few new teachers this year. We are going to go around the circle. I want you to give your name and your position or positions here at Hogwarts. I will begin. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry."  
  
"Pomona Sprout, professor of Herbology and head of Hufflepuff house."  
  
"Rubeus Hagrid, teacher of Care of Magical Creatures and Hogwarts gamekeeper."  
  
"Adrianna Brighton, professor of Muggle Studies."  
  
"Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, professor of Transfiguration and head of Gryffindor house."  
  
"Poppy Pomfrey, Hogwarts nurse."  
  
"Oliver Wood, flying instructor and quidditch coach."  
  
"Elena Sinistra, professor of Astronomy."  
  
"Filius Flitwick, professor of Charms and head of Ravenclaw house."  
  
"Elizabeth Vector, professor of Arithmancy."  
  
"Fleur Delacour, professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
"Sibyl Trelawney, professor of Divination."  
  
"Severus Snape, professor of Potions and head of Slytherin House."  
  
"Irma Pince, Librarian."  
  
"Argus Filch, Caretaker of Hogwarts."  
  
"Eva Hathor, professor of The Study of Ancient Runes."  
  
"Excellent, excellent," said Professor Dumbledore. "Well, now that you all know each other, I want you to spend the rest of this meeting getting to know each other a little bit better."  
  
As the introductions were ending, Professor Binns floated into the room through one of the walls. Oliver heard a small gasp from Adrianna, who hadn't been expecting a ghost teacher.  
  
"So sorry I'm late, I must have dozed off. What have I missed?" Professor Binns asked Dumbledore.  
  
"We were just finishing up introductions."  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, I'm Charles Binns, professor of History of Magic. And incidentally, the only ghost teacher at Hogwarts."  
  
"Alright, now please mingle and try to get to know someone that you don't know very well," said Professor Dumbledore.  
  
Oliver looked around for the beautiful veela-like girl and saw her approaching him. He knew most of the other teachers, but he didn't recognize her at all.  
  
"Hello, I am Fleur Delacour. I thought you might not remember my name since you're new and there are so many new faces."  
  
"Actually, I was a student here a few years ago, so I know most of the professors already."  
  
"Really? When did you graduate?"  
  
"Four years ago."  
  
"Ah, you were not here when I was in the Triwizard Tournament. You graduated the year before."  
  
"Wow! You were the girl in the Triwizard tournament? That's brilliant!"  
  
Fleur blushed slightly. "Thanks."  
  
"How long have you been teaching here?"  
  
"For 3 years. I started teaching the term after I graduated from Beauxbatons. I came here so that I could improve my English, and I must say, I think it's working."  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"I'm 21, and my birthday is in May. How about you?"  
  
"I'm 22, and my birthday is in March. I'm sorry, I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you a veela?"  
  
Fleur laughed lightly. "My grandmother was a veela. So yes, I am part veela, but I'm afraid I don't have much of the veelas' magical abilities. I don't have enough veela blood in me. What is your blood?"  
  
"I'm a pureblood wizard."  
  
"What house were you in when you came here?"  
  
"I was in Gryffindor."  
  
"I see. Well, it was nice meeting you Oliver. I'm sure we will run into each other often around here. I'm going to mingle a bit more now."  
  
Oliver glanced across the room at Adrianna. He wanted to get to know her a little better, but it seemed that everyone else did as well. Since no one knew her, all of the teachers were trying to greet her and talk to her. Right now she was talking to Professors Flitwick and Sprout. He heard them both congratulating her on winning the quidditch world cup and felt slightly jealous, but decided not to let it get to him.  
  
He turned to Madam Pomfrey and talked to her for a little while about what he had been up to since he graduated a few years ago. Then he talked to Professor Trelawney for a few minutes. He knew who she was, but since he had never taken divination he didn't know her that well.  
  
"Hi, I'm Oliver Wood."  
  
"Yes, I could sense that. My inner eye is very strong you know."  
  
"Umm, yea. Well, I never had divination when I was a student. I took arithmancy instead, so I don't know much about the inner eye."  
  
"You are a poor lost soul without your inner eye, dear boy. However, there are simply some who aren't meant to be seers."  
  
Oliver was kind of confused, but kept trying to talk to her. "I didn't really see you around a lot when I was a student here. Do you socialize much?"  
  
"I prefer the quiet of my tower room. It better enables me to stay in touch with my inner eye."  
  
"Right then... nice talking to you." He had to admit that she was one of the strangest people he'd ever met. Now he understood why so many students thought that she was a big fraud. She didn't seem to have a clue what she was talking about.  
  
As he finished talking to Professor Trelawney, Professor Dumbledore once again stood at the front of the room.  
  
"This staff meeting had come to an end. You may feel free to stay and socialize for a while, but you are free to leave as well. Breakfast will be at 8 tomorrow morning, and lunch is at noon. Our next staff meeting will be a brief one just after lunch tomorrow. Goodnight everyone."  
  
Oliver noticed that Professor Trelawney was the first one out the door, no doubt to retreat to the quiet of her tower. Then he remembered that he needed the key to his office and ran to catch up to Professor Dumbledore before he left.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!"  
  
"Yes Oliver, I suppose you'll be wanting the key to your office?"  
  
"Yes sir, how did you know?"  
  
"I realized after I got back to my office that I forgot to give it to you this afternoon, but I suppose you just magicked your way in. Very well, here is your key."  
  
"I had another question if you don't mind, professor."  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"How do I open the closet where the quidditch things are kept? I know where the closet is and looked for a lock, but there is none."  
  
"There is a password that you must say, and then the closet door will swing open for you. The password for that closet is 'clean game', because that is how quidditch should be played."  
  
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."  
  
Oliver decided to go back to his room. He felt like getting ready for bed since it had been such a long day. But just as he was leaving he heard Adrianna saying goodbye to a few professors, so he decided to hang back and wait for her. She saw him standing there by the door.  
  
"Are you waiting for me?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," he said lamely.  
  
"Awww that is so sweet! Thank you."  
  
"Anytime. I was hoping maybe we could talk some more and I could get to know you a little better."  
  
"That would be wonderful. Why don't you come back to my rooms with me? I love them, they're amazing! I can't wait to show you."  
  
Oliver smiled at her enthusiasm and walked with her to her rooms.  
  
As Oliver had never taken Muggle Studies, he wasn't entirely sure of where the classroom or the office was. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was just down the hall from his own office.  
  
"My classroom is the next door down," Adrianna informed him as she opened the door to her office. It was pitch black inside.  
  
"I didn't think about lighting a lamp before I left since it was daylight," she explained as she pulled out her wand.  
  
"Lumos," she said softly and the tip of her wand lit the room. She walked across the light blue rug toward her bookshelf and stopped a few feet in front of it.  
  
"Hot air balloon," she said clearly, and the bookcase swung open to reveal the entrance to her living room.  
  
"Guests first," she said. He walked into her living room and she entered right behind him and pulled the bookshelf shut behind her.  
  
"It's not that big, but let me give you a quick tour anyhow," she said. "Obviously, this is the living room."  
  
She had a bright red couch the same color as his bedspread facing her fireplace, and an off- white area rug. She also had a coffee table, but it was oval-shaped and different from his. Instead of having two armchairs, she had a loveseat that matched the couch facing toward the windows, and there was an end table where the couch and the sofa met. A chandelier lit the room. The most noticeable difference was that instead of having two doors leading to other rooms, there was only one. Where the other door would have been, there was a small kitchen area with a square wooden table and four matching chairs. The sinks and countertops in her kitchen were white marble with gold trim.  
  
"This is the bedroom," she said, opening the door. "It's a mess, I haven't finished unpacking yet." She had the same furniture as he did in the bedroom, only she had a dresser with an oval mirror in addition to the other furniture. Her bedspread was royal blue, and her canopy and curtains were a soft, gauzy white material. She had clothes and other things from home laid out on the bed and falling out of her trunk.  
  
"You have to see the bathroom, it's amazing!" She led him through a door in the bedroom wall.  
  
"It's identical to mine," said Oliver as he looked around.  
  
"Oh, well I guess they give all of the teachers the same furniture, it's probably easier that way."  
  
"Not all of the same furniture. Your bedroom set is the same as mine, but you have a different bedspread and curtains. You have totally different living room furniture than me, and I don't even have a kitchen area. I think they make everything unique for each teacher's tastes."  
  
As they were walking back through the bedroom, Oliver noticed a big ring of brass keys hanging from one of the knobs on the wardrobe.  
  
"What are those for?" he asked.  
  
"My trunk."  
  
"Well then what are the rest of them for?"  
  
"My trunk. They're all for my trunk."  
  
He just looked at her with a puzzled expression.  
  
"It has several compartments," she explained. "Each key opens a different compartment. Would you like to see?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Adrianna shoved the things into the trunk that were falling out and shut the lid, then selected one of the keys to open it. When she lifted the lid, it the trunk was empty. She opened the trunk five different times with five different keys, and each time the contents of the trunk were different.  
  
"Fascinating. I've never seen a trunk like that before."  
  
She removed something from the last compartment that Oliver had never seen before, and then shut the trunk and hung the keys on the wardrobe and led Oliver out of the bedroom.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It's a CD player."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A CD player."  
  
"How does it work?"  
  
"You honestly don't know what a CD player is? Didn't you ever take Muggle Studies?"  
  
"No."  
  
"A CD player is how muggles listen to music. They go to the store and buy little discs with music copied onto them called Compact Discs, or CDs. Then they put the CDs into the CD player, and there's a laser inside that reads the disc and plays the music. It needs electricity to work."  
  
"Oh, I see. But then it won't work here, the castle doesn't have electricity."  
  
"I know. I'm going to ask Dumbledore to help me bewitch it so that I can use it for my classes this year. And I wouldn't mind listening to it in my rooms either..."  
  
Oliver laughed. "You don't mind breaking the rules, do you?"  
  
"I'm not breaking them. I'm bending them. As long as I have permission it's not breaking the rules. Well, that's the grand tour," said Adrianna with a smile. "Have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"  
  
"Sure, water is fine."  
  
"Good, because that's all I have right now."  
  
Adrianna went to the kitchen while Oliver took a seat on the couch. She came back a minute or two later with his glass of water and sat down at the other end of the couch.  
  
"I've decided to send an owl to my mom," she said. "My family would think it's weird if I just disappear at some school in Britain and they can't call, can't e-mail, can't even write snail mail letters."  
  
"Call? E-mail?" he questioned.  
  
"Sorry, I've lost you again. They're muggle ways of communication. My mom was used to getting an occasional owl when I went to wizarding school, but she's probably forgotten about it. I'll tell Sunny to just drop it through the mail slot so that it doesn't startle anyone. They have a right to know where I am and what's going on in my life."  
  
"Why can't they just send you an owl?"  
  
"They're muggles, remember? They don't know a whole lot about owl post. But then again, at least I don't have to worry about ever getting a Howler."  
  
"Do you have any other family, or just your parents?"  
  
"I have a younger sister named Leah, but she's a muggle too. I have 20 aunts and uncles and a ton of cousins, I don't even know how many. I suppose I've never really tried to count. I'm the only witch in my entire family, as far as I know."  
  
"Wow, that's a lot of family."  
  
"Yea. How old are you, Oliver?"  
  
"22."  
  
"Really? Me too. When's your birthday?"  
  
"March when's yours?"  
  
"August."  
  
"Oh, happy belated birthday!"  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Just then, they heard a voice from the other side of the bookshelf. "Adrianna? Are you in there? 'Ow do you open ze bookshelf?"  
  
Adrianna got up turned the handle on her side of the bookshelf/door. "Hi Fleur! What's up?"  
  
"I just wanted to come and say 'ello and make sure zat you are getting settled in alright."  
  
"That's so nice of you! Please, come in and have a seat. Do you want anything to drink? I have water."  
  
"Water would be great. Oh, 'ello Oliver, I did not see you there," said Fleur as she sat down on the loveseat.  
  
"It's nice to see you again, too," he replied. He nearly laughed at the combination of their accents. They all sounded so different. There was Fleur's beautiful French accent, Adrianna's distinctly American accent, and his own Scottish accent.  
  
Adrianna got Fleur's glass of water, but instead of returning she stood just outside the doorway to the kitchen. "Do you guys want to play a game or something? I have a deck of cards. We could sit around the coffee table or the kitchen table, it doesn't matter."  
  
"Sure," said Oliver and Fleur at the same time.  
  
"We can sit on the floor around ze coffee table. I am feeling too lazy to get up and move," said Fleur.  
  
Adrianna went into the bedroom and returned a moment later with a deck of cards. She sat on the floor with them and began shuffling the cards.  
  
"Don't you 'ave a self-shuffling deck?" asked Fleur.  
  
"Nope, these are regular muggle playing cards."  
  
"Next time I'll bring my self-shuffling deck," said Oliver. "What are we playing anyhow?"  
  
"How about hearts?" suggested Adrianna.  
  
Everyone agreed, and they played hearts for a couple of hours. Fleur turned out to be an excellent hearts player, and Adrianna wasn't bad either. Oliver hadn't played for a while. He was out of practice, and to the delight of both girls, it showed. Finally, Fleur glanced up at the clock.  
  
"Oh my! It is nearly 1 am! We must go to bed soon if we want to get up in the morning! I am so glad that you 2 are teaching at 'Ogwarts, though. It is nice to 'ave other teachers my own age."  
  
"Thanks Fleur," said Oliver. "I've got a question for you before you go."  
  
"I've got an answer."  
  
"Do we have to go to breakfast tomorrow? I mean, what really matters are the staff meetings, right? So theoretically, I could wake up in time for lunch and then go to the staff meeting. Right?"  
  
Fleur chuckled. "Yes, you may skip breakfast and sleep until noon if you like. Goodnight." And she left through the bookshelf/door.  
  
"I should be leaving, too," said Oliver. "Thanks for letting me hang out here."  
  
"My pleasure. Sweet dreams."  
  
Oliver walked down the hall to his own office and unlocked the door behind the tapestry. He made sure that Lightning had come back and was in her cage, then climbed into bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.  
  
The next day, Oliver woke up at 11:15. He took a hot bubble bath in his big jacuzzi tub, and then dressed in a set of chocolate brown robes. He let Lightning out to fly around for the day, then left his rooms and locked his door on the way out. He was just emerging from his office when he heard a voice from down the hall.  
  
"Good morning, Oliver. Off to join the monastery I see," teased Adrianna as she walked briskly down the hall towards him. Her jade green robes billowed out behind her, and she wore her hair down again.  
  
"Does it really look that bad?"  
  
"No, I was only teasing. Brown is a good color for you. It brings out your eyes," she said with a smile.  
  
They walked together toward the Great Hall and met Fleur on the stairs.  
  
"Bonjour!" she called to them from the landing below and waited for them to catch up. "So glad you decided to rise and shine and join the rest of us, Oliver," she said and grinned.  
  
The trio walked into the Great Hall together and selected three seats in a row. Oliver sat in between the two girls. Fleur was sitting next to Professor Hathor, and poor Adrianna was stuck next to Professor Trelawney. The other teachers arrived with Professor Dumbledore right behind them.  
  
"I don't know about you all," said Dumbledore, "but I am starving. Dig in."  
  
An array of food appeared in front of them, including both sandwiches and pancakes.  
  
"I took the liberty of asking the house-elves to prepare some breakfast foods for those of us who are late to rise," he said with a wink in Oliver's direction.  
  
After lunch, all of the teachers once again left the hall together and walked into the staff room. Professor Dumbledore stood at the front of the room with a stack of parchment in his hand.  
  
"As promised, this will be a short staff meeting. I have a few announcements to make. As you know, this would be the year in which the next Triwizard tournament would be held. However, in light of the events that took place during the last Triwizard tournament, the Ministry has decided that it is too soon to have one again. We will, however, carry on the tradition of the Yule Ball, so if any of you do not have dress robes I would advise you to purchase some. Now, I have here all of your teaching schedules and your lists of required texts. If you should find that you're missing anything, I might have it to lend to you or you can always buy it in Hogsmeade. I have not planned any more meetings since I want you to have the next few days to prepare your lessons. When I call your name, please come forward."  
  
Adrianna was the first to receive her schedule. When she went up to get it, Dumbledore whispered something to her and she nodded and stood off to the side of the room. The other teachers came forward and took their schedules, then left one by one. Oliver was the last person to get his schedule. He took it and went back up the 5 flights of stairs to his office.  
  
He sat down at his desk and looked over his schedule. It was a light teaching load, but then the quidditch matches and practices weren't included in the schedule. He would have the Slytherins and Gryffindors together on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws together on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In addition, there was a new elective flying class on Fridays for second-years who were not yet confident in their ability to fly. Under required texts was listed Quidditch through the Ages with a little asterisk next to it. Underneath it said that Mondays and Tuesdays were to be used for book instruction, while Tuesdays and Thursdays were for practical application. The second-year class didn't need a textbook.  
  
Oliver sat in his office for a little while with Quidditch through the Ages and began dividing the chapters and topics into lessons that he could teach.  
  
"Lucky I already owned this book. I didn't know I would be teaching lessons from it," he thought to himself as he worked. After a little while, there was a knock on his door.  
  
"Come in," he said and Adrianna stuck her head in the door.  
  
"Hey, I just got done talking to Professor Dumbledore," she said.  
  
"Oh, what did he have to say?"  
  
"Two very interesting things."  
  
"Well, let's hear then," Oliver prodded.  
  
"Muggle Studies has become a required class for all students third year and above, unless they are muggle-born," said Adrianna. "Dumbledore said that in light of recent events, he and eleven of the twelve school governors have decided that all students need to better understand muggle customs and culture. I think it's great, but it means an extra heavy schedule for me. I've got the same number of classes as the other teachers with a full schedule, however, mine are combined classes with considerably more students."  
  
"Wow, I guess you'd better get busy on those lesson plans then."  
  
"Yeah, you're not kidding. What's your schedule like?" she asked, snatching his schedule off the desk. "You lucky duck! You've only got 5 class periods! I've got 28!"  
  
"Yea, but I have quidditch practices and games, too."  
  
"It still doesn't compare to what I have."  
  
"You said there were two very important things," he said, changing the subject. "What was the other one?"  
  
"Dumbledore said that your Minister of Magic has just informed him that the Spanish ambassador to Britain has decided to enroll his son at Hogwarts rather than send him to a school in Spain," said Adrianna.  
  
"Wow that is exciting! But why would he tell you in private rather than just announcing it to the whole staff?"  
  
"Because I speak Spanish, and the ambassador's son doesn't speak much English. I am going to help the boy learn English and help him out with his classes since they will obviously be taught in English."  
  
"Wow, talk about responsibility! Are you sure you'll be able to handle it?"  
  
"I'm sure I will. I might have to give up quidditch though."  
  
Oliver looked horror-stricken. "But you can't! You're the best in the world! You can't just quit!"  
  
"Yes, and what better way to go than on top of the world?"  
  
"Well, I guess if you look at it that way. How old is the ambassador's son, or don't you know?  
  
"He's eleven, and he'll be a first year."  
  
"Excellent. I'll have him for flying lessons then."  
  
"Yeah, just don't get too impatient with him if he doesn't understand every word you say."  
  
Later that night, Oliver was working on his lesson plans. He had been working on them for quite a while, actually. He had done lesson plans for the next couple of months from Quidditch through the Ages, which wasn't all that hard considering that he only needed one lesson plan per week and could use the same lesson plan for all of his classes. Finally, he was sick of lesson plans. He stood up and picked up a jar sitting on one of his shelves that contained a glistening white powder, and then threw a handful of the powder into the fireplace. A white fire immediately appeared in the fireplace.  
  
"Adrianna, why don't you take a break from those lesson plans and hang out here for a while?" he called into the fire.  
  
A few seconds later Adrianna climbed out of the fireplace in front of him. "Of course you couldn't just walk down to my office," she scolded. "You nearly scared the crap out of me!"  
  
Oliver laughed. "Should we call Fleur?"  
  
"Sure why not?"  
  
Oliver called Fleur through the fireplace the same way that he had just called Adrianna, and she too climbed out and brushed the ash off of her light blue silk robes.  
  
"You just wait, Oliver," she said. "One night you will be writing your lessons, and Adrianna and I will yell at you through ze fireplace and scare you, too."  
  
"Thanks for the warning," he replied.  
  
"Fleur those are really nice robes," said Adrianna. "I meant to say something earlier but I forgot."  
  
"Zese old things! Zey are my old Beauxbatons uniform robes. But I thank you for ze compliment."  
  
"Do you guys want to play some exploding snap and get our mind off of lessons for a while?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Sure," said the girls, and they all went into Oliver's living room and played started playing exploding snap.  
  
"So, peeps, is there anything that I should know about Hogwarts that I don't? You know, anything I should watch out for?" asked Adrianna while they were playing exploding snap.  
  
"Peeves," said Oliver almost immediately. "He's our resident poltergeist. I'm surprised you haven't run into him yet. He wreaks havoc wherever he goes. If you run into him when you're late, he's worth 2 locked doors and a trick staircase."  
  
"And Moaning Myrtle," said Fleur. "She is a ghost zat 'aunts ze girl's bathroom downstairs, ze one zat 'as ze out-of-order sign 'anging on ze door. Best not to use zat one if you can 'elp it."  
  
"There's a ghost for each house," Oliver added. "The Fat Friar for Hufflepuff, the Grey Lady for Ravenclaw, Sir Nicholas for Gryffindor, and the Bloody Barron for Slytherin. The Bloody Barron is the only one who can control Peeves."  
  
"Zen of course there are ze moving staircases and ze trick staircases zat Oliver mentioned, and certain classrooms zat only appear on specific days of ze week."  
  
"And you should know what kind of students each house typically has. Hufflepuff looks for hard workers, Ravenclaw looks for the clever ones, Gryffindor the brave, and Slytherin the ones who seek power. Slytherins are the ones you'll have to watch out for. They turn out a lot of dark wizards, and some of them think that because they're pure bloods they're better than everyone else. They won't be very happy about having to take Muggle Studies this year."  
  
"Wow, good thing I asked," said Adrianna as the card that she had just put down exploded.  
  
They played exploding snap for a little while longer, and then said goodnight to each other and the girls left. Oliver changed into his pajamas, brushed his teeth and went to bed. 


	6. Students arrive

The next couple of days were rather uneventful since all of the teachers were busy preparing lessons. Oliver found himself hanging out with Fleur and Adrianna every night. Within just the few days that they had been there, all three of them had become really close friends. Finally Monday, September 1st arrived, which meant that the students would be at the castle before dinner that evening. Oliver woke up around ten that morning and took a bath and got dressed. Then he went downstairs to Fleur's office to talk to her. Adrianna was already there, and the two girls were deep in conversation.  
  
"Good morning," Oliver said with a smile.  
  
"Good morning," they both said.  
  
"I am bored," Fleur complained. "I am sick of making lessons and there is nothing to do 'ere."  
  
"Why don't we go into Hogsmeade after lunch?" suggested Oliver. "I've been wanting to get some owl treats for Lightning and they have a magical creature shop there."  
  
"That would be excellent! I haven't really had a chance to see Hogsmeade yet," said Adrianna.  
  
So after lunch that day, the trio set out for Hogsmeade. The first place they went was Zonko's joke shop. They had fun tricking each other with the nose-biting teacups and other items. They stopped in the post office to show Adrianna the wide variety of owls that delivered letters at various speeds for different prices. Then they went to the magical creatures shop.  
  
Inside the shop, there were some creatures that Oliver had never seen before. There were cats of all different colors, poisonous toads, and owls of every color and size. Adrianna and Fleur looked around while Oliver asked the clerk about the owl treats. While Oliver was waiting for the clerk to get some treats from the back store room, he watched the girls walking around and noticed that there was a creature that looked like a miniature leopard with a lion's tail following them. Adrianna left Fleur's side for a moment to look at a rare bird, and the creature was right on her heels. The clerk came back with the treats and followed Oliver's gaze.  
  
"I see he's taken a liking to you, miss," the clerk called across the shop to Adrianna. She turned around and gave a small gasp when she saw it behind her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"It's a kneazle, miss. They make excellent pets if they've taken a liking to you, but if they don't like you, beware. This one definitely likes you. They're really bright creatures, miss. They can detect suspicious characters and if you're ever lost, they're guaranteed to help you find your way home."  
  
"He's adorable," she said, picking it up and petting it. "How much does he cost?"  
  
"8 galleons and 5 sickles, plus an extra sickle for the license."  
  
"Will he get along with my friends?" she asked, looking from Oliver to Fleur and back to the clerk.  
  
"Any friend of yours is a friend of his," replied the clerk.  
  
"Alright, I'll take him," she said. "What's the license for?"  
  
"Well miss, these creatures stand out to muggles, so you've got to put a charm on him that makes him look like a regular cat to muggles. And the Ministry of Magic likes to keep tabs on creatures that Muggles could recognize without the proper precautions."  
  
After that they went to Honeyduke's' sweet shop. Oliver bought some homemade fudge for himself. Fleur bought a brick of chocolate as an antidote for her Defense Against the Dark Arts students, just in case. Adrianna bought a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Then they all went to the Three Broomsticks for a drink together. They all ordered red currant rum and talked while they sipped their drinks. Finally, it was late afternoon and they decided that they had better get back to the castle and get ready for the students' arrival.  
  
"So what are you going to call your kneazle?" Oliver asked Adrianna as they were walking back to the castle.  
  
"I dunno. He kind of reminds me of a chocolate chip cookie," said Adrianna. Fleur just laughed.  
  
"For real!" cried Adrianna. "I mean, think about it for a minute. He's warm and soft, and he's light brown with dark brown spots..."  
  
Oliver chuckled. "You could call him Chip," he said jokingly.  
  
"That's so cute! I think I will," she replied.  
  
"I was only kidding, but sure, if you want to call him that then go right ahead."  
  
"I'm so excited about watching the sorting ceremony tonight. I've never seen one before, but I read about it in Hogwarts: A History," said Adrianna, changing the subject.  
  
"If you are reading 'Ogwarts: an 'istory, zen why did you ask us about zings to look out for?" asked Fleur.  
  
"I just got it from the library yesterday. I figured that I should try to learn as much as I can about Hogwarts since I am teaching here."  
  
The trio finally reached the castle. They walked up the stairs together and Fleur left the group at the 4th floor to go to her office. Oliver went up another flight of stairs and turned to walk down the hall, but noticed that Adrianna wasn't coming with him like she usually did.  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
"I have to see Prof. Flitwick about Chip, remember? His office is on the 7th floor."  
  
"Oh yeah. Well, I'll see you later then. Do you want to walk down to the Great Hall together?"  
  
"Yea that would be nice. See you later then," she said and went up the stairs.  
  
Oliver went back to his rooms and changed into his new navy blue robes, then read Quidditch Through the Ages until it was time to go down to the Great Hall.  
  
Finally, it was time to go downstairs for the start-of-term ceremonies and feast. Oliver went over to Adrianna's rooms to meet her. The bookshelf swung open just as he entered her office.  
  
"Perfect timing," he remarked.  
  
Adrianna was wearing denim blue robes that matched the color of her eyes, and she had pulled half of her golden blonde hair back. They walked down to the Great Hall in comfortable silence. Fleur was already there waiting for them. Professor McGonagall bustled into the room right behind them.  
  
"Excuse me; may I have your attention for just a moment? Thank you. I have just been informed that the train has arrived in Hogsmeade. The students will be here shortly, so I must ask you all to please be seated at the head table. After the other students are situated, I will bring in the first years for the sorting ceremony. That is all," she said and left the room again.  
  
Oliver sat down next to Professor Vector, Fleur sat beside him and Adrianna sat between Fleur and Professor Snape. Oliver chatted with Fleur for a few minutes while they were waiting for the students to arrive. He glanced over at Adrianna and noticed, to his dismay, that she was deep in conversation with Severus Snape. He had never liked Snape while he was a student, and saw no reason to start liking him now.  
  
Soon the students arrived and the empty Great Hall was now a sea of black pointed hats. The conversations at the staff table continued while the students took their seats and began conversations of their own. After a few more minutes the doors to the Great Hall opened again, and a hush fell over the crowd as Professor McGonagall led the first years into the hall. They all gathered in a nervous-looking group at the front of the hall, staring at the stool on which the Sorting Hat stood. The Sorting Hat performed the little song that it sang every year at the beginning of the sorting ceremony, and then Professor McGonagall unrolled a piece of parchment that she had been holding in her hand.  
  
"When I call your name, please come forward," she said to the first years.  
  
Oliver watched intently to see the first-years that he would be teaching.  
  
"Branch, Katelyn."  
  
Katelyn stepped forward shyly and sat on the stool, and Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head. "GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted, and Katelyn walked excited over to the cheering Gryffindor table.  
  
"Castillo, Juan Roberto."  
  
"That's the ambassador's son," he heard Adrianna whisper to Fleur as Juan sat on the stool.  
  
"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the Sorting Hat and the Ravenclaw table cheered loudly.  
  
"Clohessey, Patrick."  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Cressman, Nikolas."  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" Oliver looked over at the Slytherin table and saw, to his great surprise, Crabbe and Goyle cheering with the rest of the students. "That's odd, I thought they were in the same year as Harry," he thought.  
  
"Crewe, Charlotte."  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Davies, Jack."  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Davies, Jill."  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Zose are Roger Davies' younger siblings!" Fleur exclaimed in a loud whisper. "'e was a fourth-year Ravenclaw when you graduated. I went with 'im to ze Yule Ball when I was in ze Triwizard Tournament."  
  
"Edwards, Rebecca."  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Heatherley, Tessa."  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Henessey, Ermengarde."  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Jordan, Robert."  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"King, Jason."  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"Medlock, Lavinia."  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"McCoy, Darlene."  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Smith, Donald."  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Williams, Daniel."  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
As "Williams, Daniel" found a seat at the Ravenclaw table, Professor Dumbledore stood up and the students were once again quiet.  
  
"First and foremost, welcome to the start of a new term at Hogwarts! We have two new teachers joining us this year. First there is Professor Brighton, your new Muggle Studies professor." Adrianna stood up and waved.  
  
"We also have Mr. Wood filling in for Madam Hooch as flying instructor and quidditch coach." Oliver stood and gave a small wave as well.  
  
"Now, I have a few words to say. They are: bubble, mollycoddle, squirt! And now, I have two more words which have been anxiously awaited: dig in."  
  
The tables instantly filled with food and everyone filled their plates and fed their faces. There was all of the usual food plus bouillabaisse, paella and meatloaf in honor of those from foreign countries. When everyone had finished stuffing themselves silly, Professor Dumbledore stood up and once again there was quiet in the hall.  
  
"I have a few start-of-term announcements. The forest on the grounds is out- of-bounds to all students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all students below the third year. Also, it is my pleasure to inform you that this year, we will be having a Yule Ball over the Christmas holiday. And now, let us sing the Hogwarts school song together. You may choose your own tune; what matters is that you are singing."  
  
Prof. Dumbledore pointed his wand into the air and a gold ribbon shot out of it that formed the words to the song. A general ruckus followed as everyone sang the song on a different key and tempo. Finally, everyone finished the song and Professor Dumbledore announced that the prefects would lead the students to their dormitories for bed. 


	7. Lessons

The next day, which was Monday, Sept. 2nd, Oliver taught his first flying lesson. This was one of the classroom lessons rather than a practical lesson. The first-year Gryffindors and Slytherins all shuffled into the room and chose seats, with the Gryffindors sitting on one side of the isle and the Slytherins on the other side. Each student had a copy of Quidditch through the Ages, as well as blank sheets of parchment and quills and ink. Oliver took attendance, and recognized all of the names from the sorting ceremony except for Henry Grant, who was a Slytherin. He must have missed Henry being sorted when Fleur was whispering to him.  
  
"Alright class," he said. "Welcome to your first flying lesson. I'm Mr. Wood. On Mondays you will have classroom lessons, and on Wednesdays we will be outside actually learning how to fly a broomstick." One of the Slytherin students yawned.  
  
"As most of you probably know," said Oliver, "quidditch is our sport in the wizarding world. I have been told that the popularity of it is comparable to soccer in the muggle world. Quidditch is played on broomsticks, and there are four different balls..." Oliver went on to explain the game of quidditch in detail.  
  
"Now, you might be wondering why I am boring you with all of this information in a flying class. The reason is that without the flying broomstick, there wouldn't be quidditch. In this class we are going to look first at the history of the flying broomstick, and then how quidditch developed from there. And if you are all well-behaved, I just might be able to schedule a field trip to the Museum of Quidditch in London. Alright, for next Monday I want you all to read the first chapter of your book, 'The evolution of the flying broomstick', and outline it to be collected and graded. For class on Wednesday we will meet outside on the grounds near the broom shed. Class dismissed."  
  
That evening after dinner, Oliver invited Adrianna and Fleur to his rooms to hang out for a little while. Before leaving the Great Hall he grabbed a pitcher full of pumpkin juice to take upstairs with him, and Fleur picked up three goblets for them. They sat on his sofa and talked about how their day went.  
  
"My day was wonderful," said Fleur. "I 'ad a class of first-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws today. I gave zem an introduction to what we will be talking about in class. Zey were delightful young students. Katelyn Branch is a very clever young Gryffindor."  
  
"Yes, I had her in my class today too," said Oliver. "She seems like a very nice girl. I gave an introduction to my class as well. I can't wait to actually get the kids working with broomsticks on Wednesday. How was your day, Adrianna?"  
  
"It was... interesting. I had my 7th year beginner class today, as well as two 5th and 6th year beginner classes and 7th year advanced class. The 7th year Slytherins are totally against having to take Muggle Studies and they made it quite clear. Isabelle King flat out told me that she thought it was ludicrous that Dumbledore was making everyone take Muggle Studies, and her friend Morgan Heard said that she had no interest whatsoever in learning about muggles. Then there are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, also Slytherins. They don't seem to be the brightest crayons in the box, but at least they didn't complain."  
  
"What about your other classes? I'm sure the 7th year advanced class must have been better than that," said Oliver.  
  
"They were much better. Ginny Weasley is in that class, and she's fascinated with anything pertaining to muggles. So are most of the other students. Rather than doing an introduction with them, I started right in on lessons. I taught them about cell phones today."  
  
All three of them took a long drink of pumpkin juice.  
  
"You know, a funny thing happened today," said Adrianna. "A bunch of my students asked for my autograph today. They said they wanted to ask me last night after the feast but they were sent straight up to the dormitories after dinner. I guess I just never thought that anyone would ever ask me for my autograph. I didn't know I was that famous."  
  
Oliver just laughed. A pang of jealousy sprang up within him but he quickly suppressed it. He wasn't going to be a sore loser and let it ruin his friendship.  
  
"I am thinkign of starting a dueling club," said Fleur. Ze last time there was a dueling club here was 6 years ago, I believe. It is important for students to learn how to duel and how to block unfriendly spells as part of Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
"I remember that. It was run by that useless git Lockhart, he didn't have a clue what he was doing. But I'm sure it would be a lot of fun if you ran it, Fleur! I could be happy to help you out if you need anyone," Oliver offered.  
  
Just then there was a knock on the door to Oliver's rooms. He opened the door and found a little boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes standing behind the tapestry and looking up at him. He was dressed in Ravenclaw robes.  
  
"¿Puede Ud. ayudarme? Estoy buscando la Professora Brighton." Oliver had no idea what the boy had just said, but he realized that this must be Juan, the ambassador's son. Adriana was already coming to the door, she must have heard him.  
  
"¿Cuál es la problema, Juan?" she asked him.  
  
"Necesito ayuda con mi tarea," he said, holding up Quidditch through the Ages.  
  
Adrianna looked over at Oliver. "You assigned homework on the first day of classes?" she asked with a hint of disbelief in her voice.  
  
"I had to! I only have the kids for class once a week!" he said defensively.  
  
"Ok well I'll be back in a little while, Juan needs help with his homework," she said and left with the boy at her side.  
  
"Wait a minute," Oliver thought out loud. "I don't have him for class until tomorrow! I wonder how he knew what the homework was."  
  
"Perhaps 'e asked one of ze Gryffindors or ze Slytherins what ze homework would be so zat 'e could get an early start on it," suggested Fleur.  
  
"That's probably it. Are you up for a game of wizard's chess?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
They played Wizard's chess until Adrianna returned about an hour later.  
  
"I gave Juan a magical Spanish-English dictionary to help him with his homework," she said. "All he has to do is write in the word with his quill in English or in Spanish, and it will give him the translation. That way he'll be able to do a lot more on his own, without my help."  
  
"Well that's good," said Oliver.  
  
The trio decided to play rummy with Oliver's self-shuffling deck of cards, and after a few hands they decided to call it a night since they had to get up for classes the next day. Well, Adrianna and Fleur did anyhow. Oliver's classes weren't until 3:30 in the afternoon.  
  
The next day, Oliver had the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws for their first classroom lesson. It was basically the same lesson as he had given the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins the day before. As he lectured the class he noticed that Juan, who was sitting in the second row, was not watching him at all. Instead, Juan was reading the notebook that was open on top of his desk. There was an acid green quill that was writing of its own accord in the notebook. Oliver had paused the lesson without realizing it, and now the quill hovered over the notebook and Juan was looking up at him attentively. He continued the lesson and had just assigned the homework when the bell rang.  
  
"Juan, I would like a word with you," he said.  
  
He wasn't sure that Juan had understood him, but the boy must have recognized his name because he gathered up his books and walked up to Oliver's desk. Oliver opened Juan's bag and took out the notebook and quill. He opened up the notebook to see what the quill had written, but it was all in Spanish.  
  
"What is this?" Oliver asked Juan holding up the acid green quill, but Juan didn't understand. He had a nervous look on his face, like he was afraid that he was in trouble. Oliver picked up the notebook and quill and motioned for Juan to follow him. Juan picked up his bag and followed Oliver down the corridor, up a flight of stairs and down another corridor until they arrived at Adrianna's office. Adrianna was sitting at her desk with a very thick book called "Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles" open in front of her. She was working on an outline for one of her future lesson plans.  
  
"Adrianna, I need your help," said Oliver and placed the notebook and quill on Adrianna's desk. "Juan was using these things in class and I want to know what they are and why he was using them."  
  
Adrianna looked at the quill. "Juan, ¿Cuál es esto?"  
  
"Se llama un Quick Quotes Quill, Profesora."  
  
"Entiendo."  
  
Adrianna opened the notebook and read the last 3 pages, then looked back up at Juan and saw the look of anxiety on his face.  
  
"No te preocupes, Juan. Está bien." A look of relief spread across Juan's face.  
  
"Oliver," she said, "It seems that Juan had been given permission to use a Quick Quotes Quill for his class notes. This quill has been bewitched to make a verbatim transcript of his class lectures, translating into Spanish as it goes. That way Juan can understand what's going on in his classes."  
  
"I see," said Oliver, feeling dumb for having made a big deal over nothing. "Please tell Juan that I apologize for making him worry," he said and left her office to return to his own rooms.  
  
That evening after dinner, Oliver decided that he needed to have a meeting with all four of the house quidditch team captains sometime that week. He wanted to get to know them and find out who he would be working with when it got closer to the start of the quidditch season. So far, all he knew was their names from a list that Dumbledore had given him. He wrote a note for each of the four captains instructing them to meet in his office following dinner on Friday night, then went to the window and called for Lightning. Within a few minutes she flew up to him and perched on the windowsill.  
  
"Lightning, do you want to make a few deliveries? I need these delivered to the students at breakfast tomorrow morning." Lightning hooted softly and nibbled his fingers in an affectionate sort of way. "Thanks."  
  
Wednesday was Oliver's first outdoor lesson teaching students how to ride broomsticks. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was actually quite nervous. What if one of the students fell off and got hurt? What if one of them died?  
  
"Relax," he told himself, but it didn't seem to work.  
  
Around 3:00 that afternoon, he went out to the broom shed to get out the school brooms for the students to use. He was amazed to find that there was a shed full of new-looking Nimbus 2001 broomsticks instead of the old school brooms that he remembered. Nimbus 2001's were no longer top of the line, but they sure beat the old brooms that vibrated if they went too high, or pulled to one side instead of flying straight. He laid the broomsticks on the ground in two rows and had a seat on the ground, waiting for the students to arrive. Around 3:20 they started to arrive, and by 3:30 they were all there.  
  
"Good afternoon, class, and welcome to your first practical flying lesson. Please step up to the left side of a broomstick; any one will do."  
  
The Slytherins lined up side by side in one row, and the Gryffindors did the same in the opposite row.  
  
"Good. Now, hold your right hand out in front of you, and say 'up', like this." He demonstrated with his firebolt for the class. "Be sure to say it forcefully, or the broom won't listen."  
  
He stood back and watched the first-years trying to get their brooms to jump into their hands. Darlene McCoy and Katelyn Branch, both Gryffindors, got their brooms to obey right away. So did Jason King, a Slytherin. Oliver wondered if Jason was related to the girl Isabelle that Adrianna had mentioned the other day. Over 5 minutes later Patrick Clohessey, a Gryffindor, finally managed to get his broomstick to leap into his outstretched hand.  
  
"Right then, I want you to mount your brooms like so. Be sure to have a good grip on the handle so you don't fall off."  
  
Oliver showed the students how to mount their brooms properly. He glanced at the class as he did this and saw Tessa Heatherley gazing at him rather dreamily. After the students had all mounted their brooms he gave them further instructions.  
  
"Now, on the count of three, I want you to kick off lightly from the ground, hover for a few moments, and then touch down again. Do not do anything else until I give further instructions unless you would like to serve a detention with me after class." From the look on Tessa's face, he didn't think she would mind serving a detention in his presence.  
  
"One, two, three!" The class kicked off from the ground. Most of them hovered for a minute or so and then landed again, as they had been instructed. There were, however, a couple of exceptions. Lavinia Medlock, a Slytherin, had decided to show off by flying high into the air and doing a loop-the-loop before landing again. This was obviously not her first time on a broomstick. Oliver was furious, but didn't have time to yell at her.  
  
Patrick Clohessey was also flying high into the air, but unlike Lavinia, he didn't have control of his broomstick. Oliver remembered what he had heard about Neville Longbottom's first ride on a broomstick and didn't want a repeat performance. He leapt onto his own broomstick and zoomed off after Patrick. He caught Patrick's broomstick by the tail end, forcing it to slow down. He then put one hand on the front of Patrick's broomstick, kept one hand on his own, and guided poor Patrick back to solid ground.  
  
"Are you alright, Patrick?" he asked. Patrick looked scared to death but managed a small nod. Oliver turned to Lavinia.  
  
"Miss Medlock, you will serve detention this Saturday for deliberately disobeying my instructions." Lavinia gave him a look full of disgust but said nothing.  
  
"Alright class, I think that's quite enough excitement for one day. I'll see you all again on Monday, with the exception of Lavinia who will meet me in my office just after lunch on Saturday. Don't forget about your homework, and have a good weekend."  
  
Oliver's flying lesson with the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws the next day was no less eventful than the previous lesson. Juan Castillo was holding his notebook and trying to read what the Quick Quotes Quill was writing while attempting to follow Oliver's directions. While everyone else was saying "up!", Juan said "¡Arriba!" in an authoritative voice. His broomstick leapt into his outstretched hand on the first try. He looked up at Oliver with a beaming grin, and continued to hold the notebook in one hand and the broomstick in the other.  
  
Everything went as normally as could be expected until the students kicked off from the ground for the first time. Jack and Jill Davies, both Hufflepuffs, kicked off harder than necessary and flew 20 feet into the air. Rather than coming back down to the ground, they proceeded to chase each other through the air. He ordered them to land again and assigned them both a detention for the same time as Lavinia, as they both seemed to have control of their brooms.  
  
To Oliver's amazement, Juan kicked off from the ground and touched back down perfectly with only one hand on his broomstick. The other hand was still clutching his notebook tightly.  
  
On Friday after dinner, Oliver returned to his office for his meeting with the quidditch captains. There was already a girl wearing a Ravenclaw tie and badge there waiting for him.  
  
"Hi, I'm Sofie. You must be Mr. Wood," she said, rushing forward to shake his hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Sofie. What year are you?"  
  
"I'm a 5th year. The Ravenclaw team just elected me captain at the end of last year." Two more girls entered Oliver's office together and stood near Sofie.  
  
"Hello girls, I'm Mr. Wood. And you are..?"  
  
"Natalie MacDonald," said the girl in Gryffindor colors.  
  
"Lauren Sage," said the other, who was wearing Hufflepuff colors.  
  
A Slytherin boy entered the office and stood just inside the doorway. "Mr. Wood, I presume? I'm Malcolm Baddock, captain of the Slytherin team."  
  
"Alright, let's make sure I know who you all are," said Oliver. "Sofie, Natalie, Lauren, and Malcolm. Am I right?" All four of them nodded.  
  
"Good. I know that the quidditch season doesn't start until October. The reason I called this meeting was just to touch base with you all and have faces to go with the names I was given. And I was thinking... I haven't played a game of quidditch since my team went down to the American team. I kind of miss it. So I was wondering if you might like to have a friendly game of quidditch next Saturday, three on three. We could choose teams randomly, and I'm sure I could get another person for the sixth person. I'm pretty certain that Prof. Brighton would be willing to play. What do guys think?"  
  
"I think it's a brilliant idea," said Sofie.  
  
"I'm game," said Lauren.  
  
Natalie and Malcolm nodded in agreement.  
  
"Alright, I'll send you an owl with details later in the week." 


	8. Complicated

Later that evening Oliver sat in his rooms, trying to decide what Lavinia, Jack and Jill would have to do for their detentions the next day. While he was thinking about it, there was a knock on his door and Adrianna and Fleur burst into the room. Fleur was carrying large bottles of butterbeer and Adrianna had the CD player that Dumbledore had helped her bewitch.  
  
"Come on Oliver, it's Friday night! You can't just sit in your rooms and be bored all night!" said Adrianna. She turned on the CD player and put in a CD, and soon the sound of Nelly filled the room while they drank butterbeer. After a little while, Adrianna got up and started to dance. Fleur joined her shortly thereafter. Oliver was content to sit back and watch, but Fleur came over after a few minutes and pulled him up out of the armchair that he was sitting in.  
  
"Wait a minute! Stop! I don't know how to dance!" he protested.  
  
"I'll teach you then," Fleur replied with a coy smile. She placed his hands on her hips and put her arms around his neck and started dancing very close. Oliver had never danced with a girl like this before. Fleur was his friend, and he had never thought of her as anything more. In fact, he had never really thought about any girl romantically. She apparently was interested in him though, as she was coming on very strong.  
  
"Fleur, stop," said Oliver, pulling away. "I'm not comfortable dancing with you like that."  
  
He saw Adrianna look from one to the other, and then she muttered something about lesson plans and quickly left his rooms.  
  
Fleur looked at Oliver as though he had just insulted her. "Oliver, I like you a lot. Surely you must feel ze same way."  
  
"Look Fleur, I do like you. As a friend. But I'm not looking for a girlfriend right now. And even if I were, I don't think of you like that. You're just a friend to me."  
  
"You don't think zat I'm attractive," she said, with the insulted tone in her voice and her eyes flashing with anger.  
  
"No, that's not it at all! You're beautiful, probably the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. How could you not be? You're part veela. But I don't feel any chemistry between us. We get along great as friends, but I honestly don't see it going further than that."  
  
Fleur's anger seemed to subside a little. "I am sorry. I just assumed zat you would feel ze same way as I do. No boy 'as ever refused me before. I never expected to be rejected." A long awkward pause followed, as neither really knew what to say.  
  
"Well, I'll just be off to bed zen," said Fleur. Her voice was still a little cold, but there was no longer anger flashing in her eyes.  
  
"Goodnight," said Oliver.  
  
She didn't reply as she opened the door and left him alone in his rooms. The next morning, Oliver decided that he needed to go and talk to Adrianna about being in the quidditch game with the team captains so that he could write to them and let them know what was going to happen. He walked down the hall to her rooms, still in his plaid pajamas.  
  
He reached the bookshelf that served as a door and was about to call for Adrianna, but stopped at the sound of voices on the other side. He recognized them as Fleur and Adrianna. He was about to turn around and leave, but he figured that it wouldn't hurt if he listened in for a minute or two. After all, they would never know he was there. He listened for a few seconds, but suddenly he heard a low growl on the other side of the door and the conversation stopped.  
  
"What's the matter, Chip?" he heard Adrianna say.  
  
Suddenly he remembered that kneazles had an uncanny ability to recognize suspicious characters. The door swung open, and he was face to face with Adrianna. He was caught.  
  
"Oliver! You were listening in on us, weren't you?" Adrianna asked accusingly.  
  
"No, I swear I wasn't!" he lied. "I only wanted to ask you a question!"  
  
"Then why was Chip growling at you?" Chip was now standing defensively in front of Adrianna, giving Oliver a threatening look.  
  
"I really don't know! I just want to ask you something."  
  
"Well I'm busy right now, it'll have to wait."  
  
"When will you be unbusy?"  
  
"I don't know!" she cried, exasperated. "I'll call for you through the fireplace when I'm finished talking with Fleur. Will you leave now?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry I bothered you." Oliver turned and walked out of her office. "Stupid kneazle," he thought as he returned to his rooms to get dressed.  
  
About an hour later, Oliver heard Adrianna's voice through the fireplace. "Oliver, I'm done talking to Fleur now if you want to come over."  
  
Oliver climbed into the fireplace and soon emerged from Adrianna's fireplace. Chip was now lying comfortably on the rug right in front of the couch and didn't seem to mind that Oliver had just entered the room.  
  
"Be honest with me. Were you spying earlier?"  
  
"Well, I was going to. But I really didn't hear anything. Chip caught me before I had a chance."  
  
"But you really do have a question for me?"  
  
"Yeah. See, I talked to the quidditch team captains yesterday afternoon, and we all agreed to have a friendly 3 on 3 match before the start of the quidditch season. The only problem is, there are only 5 of us. So I was wondering if you might want to be the 6th person for our game."  
  
"I'd love to. I haven't played quidditch since the World Cup, and I'm starting to miss it."  
  
"Excellent. The game will be next Saturday. I'll notify the captains."  
  
That same day after lunch, Oliver returned to his office to wait for Lavinia Medlock and Jack and Jill Davies, all of whom would be serving a detention with him that afternoon. Jack and Jill arrived first, followed by Lavinia.  
  
"Thank you all for showing up so promptly. I have small task for you this afternoon, but first we'll need to go see Mr. Filch. Follow me please."  
  
Oliver led the students downstairs to Filch's office and knocked on the door.  
  
"Yes Mr. Wood?" asked Filch.  
  
"I was wondering if we might borrow three buckets and a couple of scrub brushes. I have some students serving a detention with me."  
  
At the word detention, Filch's face lit up. He began jabbering about hanging students by their thumbs in the dungeon as he gathered the buckets and brushes. "It's a shame they don't allow those punishments any more," Filch said as he handed the cleaning supplies to Oliver.  
  
Oliver led the three students back upstairs, outside, and across the grounds to the quidditch stadium. As he was unlocking the gate he explained to the students what they would have to do.  
  
"I realized after your first practical flying lesson that you all enjoy flying high. Well you won't be flying today, but you will be high above the ground. In the top box to be exact. You will scrub it clean, from top to bottom."  
  
All three looked as though they were about to start whining and complaining.  
  
"Any protests," said Oliver, "and it will be more than just the top box."  
  
He climbed the stairs to the top box with the students trailing behind him. At the top, he handed them each a bucket and a brush. He said an incantation and a stream of soapy water flowed from the tip of his wand into the buckets. Lavinia took out her wand to bewitch the brush into scrubbing, but Oliver quickly stopped her.  
  
"I forgot to tell you that you won't be needing your wands. In fact, I think I'll hold them for you until you're finished cleaning."  
  
He took Lavinia's wand, and Jack and Jill handed theirs over grudgingly. All three of them scrubbed the box on their hands and knees for quite a while. Oliver wrote his notes to the quidditch captains while they worked, refilling the buckets with soapy water every now and then. Late in the afternoon, they finally finished.  
  
"Have you learned anything from this?" he asked them.  
  
"Yeah, don't mess with Mr. Wood," said Jack.  
  
"Or you'll definitely regret it," added Jill.  
  
"What about you, Lavinia?" asked Oliver. She pursed her lips tightly together and wouldn't answer.  
  
The next morning Oliver sent a note to each of the house quidditch team captains. They read:  
  
Dear (person's name),  
  
Our match will take place this Saturday after breakfast. Prof. Brighton has agreed to participate. You should wear your house quidditch robes for the match. Bandannas will be given out after teams are decided so that we can tell who is on which team while we are playing the match. Teams will not be decided until the day of the match, at which time each team will be given 15 minutes to choose positions and come up with a game plan. See you Saturday!  
  
Mr. Wood  
  
By lunchtime that same afternoon, the entire school was buzzing about the upcoming match. It seemed that the entire school would be coming out next Saturday to show support for their house quidditch captain. About midweek, Oliver realized that he would need someone to referee the game on Saturday, since obviously he wouldn't be able to ref if he was playing. The first person that he thought of was Professor McGonagall. She was the fairest person he knew, and he was sure that she would be an impartial judge. He approached her after dinner on Thursday night and asked her if she would be the referee.  
  
"I would like to Oliver, but as you know, I always oversee whoever is announcing the match to make sure that they comment in an unbiased manner. And speaking of an announcer, I don't think you've mentioned who you chose to announce this year."  
  
"Er..."  
  
Oliver wanted to smack himself upside the head. He had forgotten all about choosing an announcer. Now he needed an announcer AND a ref.  
  
Oliver went down to Adrianna's office after dinner. She was sitting at her desk, grading some homework papers that she had collected earlier that day.  
  
"Adrianna, I've got a problem!" he cried.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"I just realized that I will need a referee and an announcer by Saturday. What am I going to do?"  
  
"Why don't you concentrate on finding an announcer, and I'll help you find a ref?"  
  
"Will you really? You're awesome Adrianna. Thanks a million!" Oliver leaned over her desk and gave her an impulsive hug, and then turned to head back to his office.  
  
As he was passing the Muggle Studies classroom, he heard muggle music blaring and students talking loudly. He poked his head through the open doorway and saw students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff sitting in the classroom, playing muggle board games and sitting around drinking a dark liquid that he had never seen before. He shook his head at the commotion and was about to leave, but then he heard a dark-skinned boy with cornrows giving a play-by-play of a game called Jenga that some students were playing.  
  
"McCoy pulls out a block with amazing skill, and the tower's wobbling... oh, and it's still standing! Now it's Tessa Heatherley's turn ..."  
  
Oliver walked into the classroom and approached the boy. It was Rob Jordan, one of his first-year flying students. He was Lee Jordan's younger brother. Lee had been best friends with the Weasley twins, and had been the quidditch announcer when he was a student at Hogwarts. Now that he thought about it, Oliver realized that Lee had been the announcer at the quidditch world cup match as well. Oliver put a hand on Rob's shoulder, and the boy turned around.  
  
"Hiya Rob, how's it going?"  
  
"Alright I guess," said Rob, sounding a little unsure.  
  
"Look, I couldn't help overhearing you giving a play-by-play of this game, and honestly, I think you'd make a great announcer. I wanted to ask if you would want to announce the quidditch match that I am having this Saturday."  
  
Rob couldn't have looked happier. "Really? You're serious?"  
  
"Yeah, really."  
  
"Sure I'll do it! This is so cool!"  
  
"Great, just go up to the top box on Saturday and look for Prof. McGonagall, she'll tell you what to do."  
  
"Excellent! Thanks Mr. Wood!"  
  
Oliver smiled and left the room. He was very relieved that he had found an announcer. Now he just wondered who Adrianna would get for a referee. The next evening, Oliver was in his bedroom gathering the things that he would need for selecting teams for the match tomorrow. He heard someone bursting in through the outer door, and then he heard Adrianna's voice.  
  
"Oliver! I found you a referee for tomorrow!" He emerged from the bedroom into his living room. "Wonderful! Who did you get?" he asked, carrying a handful of bandannas and a bag of marbles.  
  
"Severus Snape."  
  
Oliver dropped the bag of marbles. They fell to the floor and rolled everywhere. He looked at Adrianna in disbelief. "Snape!?"  
  
"Yea, what's wrong with Severus?"  
  
"He hates Gryffindors, and I was a Gryffindor. I hope I don't end up on the same team as Natalie, or my team won't stand a chance with Snape as ref!"  
  
"Who's Natalie?"  
  
"The Gryffindor House Quidditch team captain."  
  
"I see. Well, if you don't appreciate my help you can just do it yourself next time."  
  
"I do appreciate your help. It's not your fault, you didn't know. I'm sorry," said Oliver as he was picking up the marbles." 


	9. Tactics and Maneuvers

The next day was the day of the big quidditch match. Oliver woke up early and pulled his Scottish quidditch robes out of his wardrobe. They were gold on the outside and had the Rampant Lion in red on the back. The inside was the same shade of red as the Rampant Lion. He got dressed and went over to Adrianna's rooms to accompany her to the Great Hall for breakfast. She was wearing her red, white and blue American quidditch robes and had her long golden hair pulled back in a ponytail.  
  
She asked if they should go downstairs and meet Fleur, but Fleur had been giving Oliver the cold shoulder. He really didn't feel like greeting her first thing in the morning, so they went straight to the Great Hall. Fleur was already there when they arrived, so Oliver didn't feel too bad about not going downstairs to greet her. The quidditch captains had already arrived too, each wearing their house quidditch robes.  
  
After breakfast, the whole school walked toward the quidditch stadium as a group. Oliver, Adrianna and the quidditch captains all met at the center of the pitch, where they waited for Professor Snape. Snape arrived after most of the students had already made their way into the stands and were seated. He was carrying the bandanas and the bag of marbles, which Oliver had given him during breakfast. Oliver could hear Rob Jordan announcing what was about to take place. Snape reached the middle of the pitch and explained to the players what they would have to do.  
  
"This bag contains six marbles, three white and three black. When I call your name, you will step forward and pull a marble out of the bag. If you pull out a black marble, you will receive a black bandana and will be on the black team. If you pull out a white marble, you will receive a white bandana and will be on the white team. Adrianna Brighton."  
  
Adrianna stepped forward and reached into the bag. She pulled out a white marble, and Snape handed her a white bandana. She tied it like a headband around her head.  
  
"Sofie Grant." The Ravenclaw captain pulled out a white marble and joined Adrianna.  
  
"Natalie MacDonald." The Gryffindor captain also pulled out a white marble, and Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. At least now if Snape was going to be unfair, he would have to be unfair to both teams.  
  
"Well, there's no need for the rest of you to draw marbles," said Snape as he handed black bandanas to Oliver, Lauren and Malcolm.  
  
"Now, you have 15 minutes to decide how you are going to approach the game. At the end of the 15 minutes I will blow my whistle and you will all report back here."  
  
As they broke into groups, Oliver took a few minutes to look around the stadium. The students had gone all out making banners for this match. Since they didn't know who would be on which team, they had made banners for their favorite individuals. The students of Slytherin house had taken one of their bed sheets and painted "Malcolm Baddock for President" in big green letters. The Gryffindors had a big yellow paper banner with red letters that said "Natalie kicks butt! Go Gryffindor!" In the front row of the Gryffindor stands were Tessa, Darlene and Katelyn. They were holding a huge red poster that said "Mr. Wood Rocks our Socks" in big, glittering gold letters. The Hufflepuffs also had a bed sheet, only they had put a charm on it so that it was now black instead of white. It said "Lauren, Lauren, she's our girl, if she don't win then we might hurl!" in bright yellow letters. The Ravenclaws, always the clever ones, had taken five separate pieces of blue poster board and written "Sofie" in silver letters with one letter on each piece of poster board. Then they levitated the poster boards and charmed them so that they would flip over every 15 seconds to say "rules". Oliver thought that it was a really cool effect. There were also a handful of Ravenclaw fifth and sixth year boys that had made a sign for Adrianna that said "Professor Adrianna 'Brightons' up our day".  
  
In addition to all those signs, there were still students waving flags to show support for their house. Oliver heard Rob telling the crowds that today's game would be played with only the quaffle since there were only three people on each team. Then he turned his attention back to his team so that they could work out a game plan.  
  
"What positions do you play?"  
  
"Beater," said Malcolm.  
  
"Seeker," said Lauren.  
  
"And I'm a keeper," said Oliver. "Are you two OK with being chasers? One of you could be keeper if you really want to, but remember that Professor Brighton will most likely play chaser so you'll have to contend with her."  
  
"Yeah we're cool with being chasers," said Lauren.  
  
"What positions do Natalie and Sofie play?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Natalie's a keeper and Sofie's a chaser," Malcolm replied.  
  
"Shoot, they're all used to the positions that they're going to play today. They'll have an advantage. Are they any good?" Oliver asked.  
  
"Yeah," said Lauren. "Almost nothing gets past Natalie."  
  
"Alright guys, just try your hardest," said Oliver. "Not much gets past me either, so this will probably be a long game. The most important thing is for you to stay focused throughout the entire game. If you lose focus, it will give the other team an even greater advantage."  
  
With that, Snape's whistle blew and all six competitors walked back to the middle of the pitch.  
  
"Listen up, everyone," said Snape. "Since there is will be no snitch to signal the end of the game, you will play until one of the teams scores 100 points with the quaffle. The first team to do so will win the match. Now mount your brooms."  
  
All six players mounted their brooms, and Snape threw the quaffle into the air. The game had begun. There was a blur of color as all four chasers tried to get the quaffle. Oliver sped toward his goalposts and was certain that Natalie was doing the same. He listened to Rob's commentary closely as he watched what was happening.  
  
"Baddock gets first possession of the quaffle and speeds toward the white team's goal posts... he's blocked by Brighton and Grant... Nice pass to Sage! She shoots, but it's blocked by MacDonald! Now Brighton has the quaffle... she's really pulling away from the black team's chasers..."  
  
Oliver prepared himself to block her. She was coming up the left side of the field. Suddenly she swerved to the right and threw the quaffle as hard as she could. Oliver wasn't fast enough.  
  
"White team scores, 10 to nothing!"  
  
Oliver threw the quaffle to Lauren and she sped down the pitch.  
  
"Now Sage takes the quaffle, but Grant's right beside her... Grant's trying to steal the quaffle... wow she's really using her elbows, Snape ought to call a penalty... and there's the whistle, penalty against the white team."  
  
Lauren took the penalty shot and made it in. Oliver cheered from his end of the field. Now the white team had the quaffle again. They were zigzagging toward Oliver, passing the quaffle and avoiding the other chasers as they went. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Malcolm intercepted one of their passes and scored again. The black team was ahead.  
  
About three hours later, the game was still close but the white team had the lead again. The score was now white team: 90 and black team: 80. It had been quite a while since the white team had scored, though. Oliver thought that they were starting to get tired and lose focus. Baddock had the quaffle and was soaring toward the white team's goal posts, but just when he was about to try to score, Sofie flew right into him and nearly knocked him off his broom. Snape's whistle blasted, and Rob was saying,  
  
"... and a penalty shot is awarded to the black team for Sofie Grant's nasty display of blatching..."  
  
"Rob, you will comment in an unbiased manner or you will not comment at all!" warned Prof. McGonagall.  
  
"Sorry professor, it won't happen again! Where was I? Oh yeah, Baddock takes the penalty shot and it's good... the next team to score will win the match!"  
  
Oliver decided to call a time out, the first of the game. Malcolm and Lauren joined him on the ground and gathered close.  
  
"Ok team, I just want to say that you are doing a great job so far, you haven't lost focus and we actually have a shot at winning this thing. Now, when we go back from the time out, the white team will have the quaffle. I'm guessing that Prof. Brighton will take it and try to score. If she does score, game over and they win. But if she misses, here's what I think we should do. I'll leave our posts unguarded and we'll all fly toward the white team's posts. We'll use the Hawkshead Attacking Formation to get Brighton and Grant out of the way. Lauren, I want you to take the shot because I think that you've got the best chance of making it. If we don't make it, they'll probably get back to our posts before I can and win. I know it's a risk, but I think it's our best chance. What do you guys think?"  
  
"I think it's brilliant," said Lauren.  
  
"Yea, let's do it," said Malcolm.  
  
The time out ended with a blast from Snape's whistle, and both teams flew high into the air again. Sofie headed toward Oliver with the quaffle. Malcolm and Lauren met right in front of her and tried to stop her, but she threw the quaffle over her shoulder just before she ran into them and Adrianna caught it. Adrianna ducked below the tangle of chasers, came straight at Oliver, and took her shot. He caught it and sped past her toward the white team's goal posts. He heard the shouts of surprise from the crowd as Lauren and Malcolm joined him and they sped down the field in an arrowhead shape. He tossed the quaffle to Lauren, who was on his right. She pulled ahead of the arrow formation and took her shot against Natalie. Her aim was true. Lauren scored, and the game was over. Oliver's team had won.  
  
The next Wednesday, Oliver was outside working with his class of Gryffindors and Slytherins. All of the students seemed more attentive in class, but Lavinia most of all. She had been very disruptive in class since she'd served the detention with Oliver over a week ago. This week, however, she was the model student. Oliver thought that maybe she was impressed that he had worked so well with the Slytherin team captain on Saturday for a victory.  
  
This week he was teaching the students how to control their broomstick once they were in the air. Once they were all in the air, he got them all to fly in one large circle while trying not to run into the person in front of them. Patrick Clohessey kept bumping into Katelyn Branch, but he wasn't doing it purposely. Oliver had a suspicion that he would be seeing the boy again in the class for second years next year. All of the other students were flying in the circle without difficulty. After a while class ended, and Oliver walked back up to the castle with the students. Just as he reached the foot of the stairs, he saw Professor McGonagall walking briskly toward him.  
  
"Oliver, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you." 


	10. Job security

Oliver felt very apprehensive as he walked up the stairs toward Professor Dumbledore's office. He couldn't imagine what he might have done wrong. Then again, maybe he hadn't done anything wrong at all. He would just have to wait until he got to Dumbledore's office to find out. He walked up to the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Canary Cremes," he said clearly and the stone gargoyle came to life and jumped aside to let Oliver through. Dumbledore was obviously a fan of Fred and George's new candies. Oliver stepped onto the first step of the spiral staircase, and it revolved until he reached the top. When he reached the top, he saw Angelina Johnson sitting across from Dumbledore at his desk.  
  
"Hello Oliver," said Dumbledore. "I'm sure you are curious as to why I asked you to see you. Please have a seat."  
  
Oliver sat in the chair next to Angelina.  
  
"Oliver, do you know where Angelina works?" asked Dumbledore. Oliver thought for a moment, and then it dawned on him. "Yeah, she works for the Ministry of Magic. She's working on Madam Hooch's case."  
  
"That's right. She has some news which may have a big impact on your future, and I wanted you to be able to hear it first hand." Oliver looked at Angelina.  
  
"Oliver, we've found Madam Hooch. She was in the Sahara desert. We think that someone in the crowd turned her broomstick into a portkey while she was refereeing because they didn't agree with how she called a play," Angelina explained.  
  
"Is she alright?" Oliver asked.  
  
"She's not in very good shape right now, but luckily she had her wand with her so she survived. We expect her to recover thought, so she will be alright eventually."  
  
"I guess I should start looking for another job then?" Oliver asked Dumbledore.  
  
"That is not a bad idea, however, it is too soon to know anything for sure," Dumbledore replied. "It is ultimately up to Madam Hooch, and she is in no condition to decide anything right now."  
  
The next day, Oliver started looking through the classified ads in the Daily Prophet for another job. Nothing appealed to him. Of course he could still play quidditch for Scotland, but he wouldn't be able to do that forever. The truth was that he really enjoyed teaching at Hogwarts. In just a few short weeks, he had grown rather attached to the students and had nearly forgotten that he was just a temporary replacement. And then there were the friends that he had made. Even though Fleur was still not as open with him as she had been, she was starting to warm up to him again. She was still an awesome friend. Adrianna was amazing as well. He had never met anyone else who seemed to understand him so completely. Oliver knew that it was going to be very hard for him to go when the time came.  
  
He also realized that he should probably start packing up some of his belongings, whatever he wouldn't need for everyday use. Once Madam Hooch was ready to come back, he wouldn't have much time to get his things together. Oliver waited anxiously for nearly two weeks for some word from Dumbledore, yet at the same time dreaded what Dumbledore would have to say to him. Finally in the first week of October, Dumbledore came up Oliver after dinner.  
  
"Oliver, would you please accompany me to my office? There is someone there who would like to talk to you."  
  
Oliver suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He didn't want to leave Hogwarts, but he knew that by the end of the night his trunk would probably be packed and he would probably be saying farewell after breakfast tomorrow. He followed Dumbledore down several corridors, past the gargoyle and up the spiral staircase. There, waiting for him, were Angelina Johnson and a very frail Madam Hooch.  
  
"Hello Oliver, it's good to see you again," said Madam Hooch. "I understand that you've been filling in for me while I was missing in action." Oliver nodded. "Professor Dumbledore said that I was welcome to have my position back whenever I felt ready to return, and I have put a lot of thought into my decision. At first I thought that I would wait until next year to return, but I have decided that that is not what I want to do," she said. Oliver's heart sank.  
  
"Instead," she continued, "I have decided that I will not be returning at all."  
  
It took a few minutes for the words to sink into Oliver's head. "Wh-what? You're not coming back?" he managed to ask with disbelief.  
  
"No, I have decided to take an early retirement from anything and everything related to quidditch. Being stuck in the Sahara desert is not something that I wish to experience more than once in my lifetime. In fact, it was not something I wanted to go through the first time around. Perhaps I'll take up gardening or something."  
  
"Then I don't need to find another job?"  
  
Angelina, Professor Dumbledore, and Madam Hooch all laughed.  
  
"No Oliver, you are welcome to stay," said Dumbledore with an amused smile.  
  
"Well, that should do it," said Angelina as she and Madam Hooch stood up to leave.  
  
"Oh, here's something for you, Oliver." She handed him a small white envelope addressed to him in very fancy script. "Fred and I wanted to give this to you in person rather than sending it by owl post." She was beaming. "It was nice seeing you again," she said. She threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and helped Madam Hooch step inside.  
  
"Thanks, you too," said Oliver and tucked the envelope into his chest pocket.  
  
He walked quickly back to his office. He couldn't wait to find out what was in the envelope. On the way past Adrianna's office he ran right into Juan Castillo, nearly knocking the poor first-year over. The boy was probably going to get homework help or English lessons or something. Oliver quickly apologized to Juan, then hurried into his office and shut the door behind him. He carefully broke the seal on the envelope, opened it, and pulled out a small card. On the front were silver bells and fluttering lavender ribbons. Inside in silver script was written:  
  
You are invited to attend the wedding of Frederick Weasley and Angelina Johnson on Saturday, the nineteenth day of April at two o'clock pm at the home of Edward and Danielle Johnson.  
  
"Wow, I can't believe they're getting married already," thought Oliver. "They just got engaged not too long ago." He looked at the invitation again. "And I never knew that Fred's full name was Frederick."  
  
Later that week, several posters appeared around the castle announcing that a dueling club would have its first meeting that Saturday after lunch. The students were really excited about it. Oliver heard them talking about it every time he walked down the corridors. He was a little disappointed that Fleur hadn't asked him to help her, but maybe she was still too mad at him to ask. He needn't have worried. The next day, Friday, Fleur came to see him in his office.  
  
"Oliver, I was wondering if you would like to help me with somezing," she said.  
  
"Hmm, let me guess. You're starting a dueling club and you want me to help you out tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes, you can read ze posters. I am impressed." "What exactly were you planning to do with the students?"  
  
"Well, for ze first class I just want to teach zem to disarm each ozzer. Zen eventually we will move on to 'exes and counter curses. And near ze end, if Dumbledore will permit it, I would like to teach zem to fight ze imperious curse."  
  
"You sound really ambitious. I think that the disarming spell is good for the first class. I think that the hardest thing to do will be to make sure that the students are only disarming each other and not hexing each other like when Lockhart ran the dueling club."  
  
"I will 'ave Adrianna, Severus, Minerva and Filius patrolling ze students to make sure zat does not 'appen. You will be my on-stage opponent."  
  
"It seems like you've got everything figured out then."  
  
"I want my dueling club to be successful. Zank you for 'elping me, Oliver."  
  
"Wait a minute, I never said I was helping you." Fleur looked hurt.  
  
"Only joking, I would love to help you."  
  
Her frown turned into a grin. She gave him a quick hug and ran out of his office. The dueling club the next day wasn't nearly as exciting as Oliver had hoped. He just stood on stage while Fleur disarmed him a few times. The only interesting thing that happened was that one time when Fleur tried to disarm him, he yelled "Expelliarmus" at the same time as she did. Both of their wands flew into the air and clattered to the ground near the middle of the stage, and both he and Fleur were knocked backwards several feet. Fleur managed to stay on her feet but Oliver fell on his butt in front of the students. Everyone laughed at the scene, including the other teachers that were present.  
  
The students practiced disarming each other for the majority of the hour that the club was meeting that day. However, with about 10 minutes left, the class suddenly got very interesting when Fleur announced that the students would now have a chance to see a real duel.  
  
"Ready Mr. Wood?" she asked from the opposite end of the stage.  
  
Oliver nodded. They walked briskly to the center of the stage, bowed to each other, and took 5 steps in opposite directions. Oliver raised one hand above his head in a fist and held his wand out in front of him with the other.  
  
"Rictusempra!" he shouted at almost the same time as Fleur yelled "densaugeo!" Their spells hit each other at the same time. Fleur fell to the floor in fits of hysterical laughter gasping for air, while Oliver's upper front teeth suddenly grew very long and protruded from his mouth.  
  
He wasted no time in using his next spell. He tried to yell "locomotor mortis", and though it sounded funny because of his teeth, it still worked. Fleur legs were now locked together, so even if she weren't convulsing with laughter she wouldn't be able to get back up very easily. She caught her breath for a second, which was just long enough to shout "tarantallegra!" Oliver's legs began to jerk around uncontrollably in a sort of dance. Oliver held his wand arm steady with his left hand for his next spell.  
  
"Furnunculus!" he shouted, though he could hardly be understood with his massive front teeth. Fleur's body was now covered with boils. Oliver was definitely winning now. Fleur was in a lot of pain, but couldn't stop laughing from the tickling charm. She couldn't utter another word between the laughter and the pain. Professor McGonagall stepped in at this point.  
  
"Finite incantatum!" she yelled loudly, and suddenly both Fleur and Oliver were back to normal. Fleur got to her feet and turned to the students.  
  
"Well, there you 'ave it. I 'ope to see you all next week."  
  
A couple of weeks passed, and then it was the start of the quidditch season. Oliver found that most of his time was now occupied with overseeing quidditch practices. The quidditch coach hadn't had to oversee practices when Oliver was a student, except in his seventh year when everyone thought that Sirius Black was after Harry. However, after Oliver graduated one of the students had been seriously injured in quidditch practice. The parents were furious that there were no adults supervising practices for such a dangerous sport as quidditch, so now the coach had to be at all practices.  
  
It was a grueling schedule. Sofie had the Ravenclaw team up at dawn to practice every other day. She was determined to win the House Cup for Ravenclaw this year no matter what. She was so much like Oliver used to be that it scared him a little bit. Malcolm, however, preferred night practices for the Slytherin team starting at 7pm and ending at 10:30 so that the team could be back inside the castle by curfew at 11:00. Lauren didn't seem to have a set schedule. She just called practices at random times, stopping at Oliver's office to get him on the way out to the pitch. Natalie seemed to prefer to alternate times, sometimes having early morning practices, sometime mid-afternoon practices and sometimes night practices. Unlike Lauren, there was some method to Natalie's madness. Oliver thought it was interesting to see the different tactics that each team was using. Once in a while Adrianna came with him to keep him company, and it was nice to have someone to talk to.  
  
Oliver had a bit of a surprise at one of the Gryffindor practices. As the team came out of the locker room for practice, a tall, sandy-haired boy climbed the stairs into the stands and sat down not too far from Oliver. He had a camera around his neck. Oliver walked up to the boy.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? You can't take pictures here. These are secret maneuvers devised by each individual team."  
  
"Hiya Oliver!" said the boy in a very enthusiastic voice. "I take pictures for Gryffindor every season, and then I make a scrapbook and give it to the team every year. If you don't believe me, ask Natalie."  
  
The boy looked up, and Oliver recognized him at once.  
  
"Colin Creevey! How are you?"  
  
"I'm great!"  
  
"What have you been up to lately?"  
  
"I've been putting together a portfolio. I want to get a job taking photos for some sort of publication, probably either the Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly."  
  
The players on the field mounted their brooms.  
  
"Oh, practice is starting! I'll talk to you later, Oliver!" Soon Colin's camera was clicking away, and he was running all over the stadium taking pictures. 


	11. An outrage

On Monday of the next week, Oliver and Adrianna had plans to meet after class and go downstairs to dinner together. He came inside after teaching his flying class and walked up the stairs to the Muggle Studies classroom to meet Adrianna. Her class had just let out as he arrived. She walked out of the classroom behind a group of Slytherin 7th years including Isabelle, Morgan, Crabbe and Goyle. Oliver walked up to her side, and they went down the hall together behind the students. Oliver tried to start a conversation with her, but she wasn't listening to him. Instead, she was concentrating on what the students in front of her were talking about.  
  
"...don't know why we have to take this bloody awful class," Morgan was saying. "From listening to Brighton, you'd think that muggles were the most fascinating things on earth."  
  
Crabbe and Goyle grunted in agreement.  
  
"Well, she would think so, wouldn't she? She's a mudblood," said Isabelle.  
  
Adrianna's face turned very red, but she said nothing.  
  
"You mean Dumbledore actually hired a mudblood to teach here?" asked Morgan.  
  
Crabbe and Goyle both wore confused expressions, but then again, that wasn't anything unusual for them.  
  
"She fits right in if you think about it," said Isabelle. "There's Brighton the mudblood and Hagrid the half-giant, and remember in our second year when we had that werewolf Lupin for Defense Against the Dark Arts? I guess it's Dumbledore's idea of fun to hire freaks as teachers. I wish my parents had sent me to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts."  
  
At this, a silent tear slid down Adrianna's cheek.  
  
Oliver was furious. He couldn't believe that a student would talk about a teacher like that. The only other person he'd ever heard talk like that was Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Perhaps, Miss King, you should be more careful what you say about your teachers. You never know who might be listening," Oliver said loudly.  
  
The whole group of Slytherins stopped dead in their tracks.  
  
"Mr. Wood!" Isabelle said with a shocked look on her face. "Err... lovely day, isn't it?"  
  
"You would be very wise to shut your mouth, Miss King. You are already in quite a lot of trouble. I am disgusted that you would even think of speaking about your teachers with such foul words. Rest assured that you will be serving a detention in the very near future."  
  
Next to Isabelle, Morgan smirked. She tried to hide it with her hand, but Oliver saw it.  
  
"Think it's funny do you, Miss Heard? Perhaps you'd like to join Miss King in detention."  
  
The smirk was now gone from her face.  
  
"I will see both of you in my office for your detentions on Friday night."  
  
Oliver waited until the students walked down the corridor, then pulled Adrianna into an empty classroom. To his dismay, Peeves was in there writing very rude words on the chalkboard.  
  
"Out Peeves, or I'll call for the Bloody Barron!"  
  
Peeves threw the chalk on the floor and stuck out his tongue as he zoomed out of the room. Oliver turned to Adrianna.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little surprised. I didn't know my students felt that strongly about my subject, or my blood for that matter." Another tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"There is nothing wrong with your blood," Oliver said firmly. "You're just as good a witch as anyone else I know. And you're a damn good quidditch player. You might even be better than me," he said with a wink, trying to cheer her up. It almost worked. He got a half-smile out of her.  
  
"Thanks." She gave him a hug and laid her head on his shoulder for a minute. He returned her hug and rubbed her back comfortingly. After a few moments she pulled away from him.  
  
"Do you still want to go to dinner?" he asked her. "Yes, I should probably put in an appearance even if I don't feel like eating. I can't let those awful Slytherins think that they've won."  
  
Oliver knew that Adrianna was really upset about what had happened, and he really wanted to do something for her. He thought about it all night on Monday and finally figured out what he wanted to do. He decided to talk to Dumbledore the next day after breakfast. He was going to need some help if he wanted to pull this off.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."  
  
"Yes Oliver, what is it?"  
  
"Adrianna has been upset lately, and I wanted to do something to cheer her up. I was wondering if I could throw her a surprise party and invite her friends from home. I have it all worked out, but I'll need some help. We could have the party in the History of Magic classroom since that's a pretty big room. I could plan it for Saturday, and the guests could arrive while she's helping with the dueling club. But I am also helping with the dueling club, so someone else would have to take the guests upstairs."  
  
"That sounds alright Oliver, but how are the guests going to get here? And how are you going to know who to invite?"  
  
"I'm sure she has letters from her friends stored away somewhere. I'll just have to look around in her rooms and see who she writes to, and that's who I'll invite. As for how they'll get here, can't they just apparate?"  
  
"Assuming that they all know how to apparate, which is not likely, it is still too great of a distance. Remember, she is from America. People can not just apparate across entire oceans."  
  
"How did Adrianna get here then? She was waiting for Hagrid in Hogsmeade with me on the day we arrived."  
  
"I sent her a portkey to Hogsmeade."  
  
"Well, we can send portkeys to her friends then. Can a portkey be made to bring them straight to Hogwarts, or do they have to be brought to Hogsmeade and picked up?"  
  
"They can be brought straight to the grounds, and if you like, I will meet them outside and take them upstairs."  
  
"Thank you so much Professor Dumbledore. I don't know how I would do this without you."  
  
That day while Adrianna was teaching, Oliver tried to sneak into her rooms so he could find out who to invite. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He stood in front of the bookcase, trying to remember what the new password was. He knew it was a slogan for some muggle device, and it was something that sounded really American, but what it was he just couldn't remember.  
  
"Why can't I remember?" he though. "Or as Adrianna might say, 'Dude! Why can't I remember?'"  
  
Something clicked in his head. "Dude! That's it! Dude, you're gettin a Dell!" he said clearly to the bookshelf.  
  
It swung open, only to reveal Chip guarding the door and growling.  
  
"What is this, an obstacle course?" thought Oliver as he took a tentative step forward.  
  
Chip growled louder.  
  
"Come off it Chip! How am I ever going to throw this party for Adrianna if I can't find out who her friends are?"  
  
Chip seemed to be considering what Oliver had said, and then he stopped growling, turned around, and headed toward the bedroom. He looked over his shoulder as if to get Oliver to follow him. Oliver followed Chip and opened the bedroom door. Chip bounded across the floor to the bedside table and stood in front of it. Oliver opened the small drawer in the bedside table. Inside were a Bible, a small box full of ballpoint pens, quills, muggle paper and parchment, and next to that, an address book. The address book was divided into two sections: muggles and wizards/witches.  
  
"Chip, you're a lifesaver."  
  
Oliver petted Chip under the chin, and then went back to his rooms so that he could write to Adrianna's friends before he had to go to class. In his office, Oliver flipped through the address book. In the muggle section were her parents, sister, grandparents and all of the aunts and uncles that she had told him about. There were also a bunch of people that he assumed were her friends from the muggle college that she went to, or else people that she had grown up with.  
  
The wizards/witches section didn't have a whole lot of names compared to the muggles part. Oliver found that rather remarkable considering that he didn't really know any muggles. He wrote down the names of the people that were in the wizards/witches section. First there was Brenda Beikert, then Nikki Clayton and Daphne Cortes. Then there were Flynnie and Kilch.  
  
"Strange names," thought Oliver. "I wonder if they're witches or wizards."  
  
Next was Sonia Pluta. "She's the American quidditch team captain," Oliver remembered.  
  
After that was the name Michael Poole with a thick black line drawn through it. "Hmm, guess I won't be sending him an invitation. I wonder what he did to make Adrianna mad at him," wondered Oliver.  
  
The last name in the book was Steph Trisch.  
  
Oliver picked up his quill and parchment and wrote a letter to each of them explaining that he was throwing a party for Adrianna to cheer her up a bit. He spent over an hour turning empty butterbeer bottles into portkeys for the guests to be able to come to Hogwarts. Then he walked through several corridors to the owlery and gave each letter along with a bottle to a different school owl, hoping that they would make it to America in time.  
  
The next day, Oliver decided that he needed to return the address book before Adrianna discovered that it was gone. When he was sure that she was teaching, he snuck into her office and opened the bookshelf, then crept into her bedroom and stuck the book back in her nightstand. He breathed a sigh of relief as he emerged from her rooms and left her office. So far, so good.  
  
He went back to his own rooms and found Lightning perched on the windowsill with a letter lying on the coffee table. He opened up the letter and read:  
  
Oliver,  
  
Quidditch practices will start this Saturday at noon. We will practice every Saturday from noon to six, and every Sunday from three to nine. See ya soon!  
  
Leslie  
  
"She had to pick this weekend to start practices," Oliver said to himself after he read the letter.  
  
Oliver was torn. He really wanted to be at quidditch practice, but on the other hand, he had a lot of things planned at Hogwarts this weekend that he didn't want to miss. Besides, if he wasn't at Hogwarts on Saturday he would be letting a lot of people down. He would just have to skip quidditch practice on Saturday, and show up on Sunday. He scribbled a quick reply to Leslie's note.  
  
Leslie-  
  
I won't be able to come to practice on Saturday because I have a prior commitment that I can't break. Sorry. I will be there on Sunday though.  
  
-Oliver  
  
He gave Lightning the note to deliver, and then wandered down to the kitchens to ask the house elves to make some snack foods for Adrianna's party.  
  
On Thursday night and all day on Friday, rain fell over the Hogwarts grounds in sheets. The ground turned into mud so deep that it squished around Oliver's feet and ran into the tops of his shoes. Nevertheless, the house quidditch teams continued to practice. Sofie seemed even more determined to practice in the bad weather. She wanted to make sure that the Ravenclaw team was prepared to play in any weather. Malcolm also had the Slytherins practicing in the torrential downpour.  
  
This worked very nicely to Oliver's advantage, because Isabelle and Morgan had detentions to serve that night. Before the Slytherin practice began, Oliver handed Malcolm a large cloth bag and told him that when his team was done practicing, they were supposed to put their muddy robes in the bag instead of dropping them down the laundry chute. He also asked Mr. Filch not to mop the floors when the team came in from quidditch practice, and Filch was more than happy to oblige when he learned that it was for a detention.  
  
After practice was over, Oliver asked Isabelle and Morgan to accompany him to his office since they were both on the quidditch team. He took the laundry bag from Malcolm and got a bucket and a mop from Filch, then took everything upstairs to his office. On his way back to his office, he got Adrianna from her rooms so that she could come with him to see the girls serve their detentions. The group finally arrived at Oliver's office. Isabelle and Morgan sat in the chairs by his desk while he and Adrianna stood side by side in front of them.  
  
"Alright girls," said Oliver, "first things first. Hand over your wands."  
  
Both girls grudgingly pulled out their wands and handed them to Oliver.  
  
"I believe that a punishment should fit the crime," he continued. "What you called Professor Brighton the other day was a filthy, disgusting name and I hope that I never hear either of you saying it again. I have come up with a separate punishment for each of you. Miss Heard, you will mop the entire entrance corridor until it is so clean that I can see my reflection in it. This will be no small task, considering that your entire quidditch team has just walked through there with muddy shoes and robes on. Miss King, you will wash the robes for your quidditch team using the old ringer washers in the laundry room. I would suggest that you do a good job. Your teammates might not be too happy with you if they have mud stains on their quidditch robes. Professor Brighton and I will be overseeing you, and we will inspect your work when you are finished. You will not be dismissed until we are both satisfied."  
  
He handed the bucket and mop to Morgan, then picked up the laundry bag and motioned for Isabelle to follow him. Both girls worked for several hours cleaning. Morgan was the first one to finish, and Oliver and Adrianna came to inspect her work. Adrianna walked up and down the corridor inspecting it but left footprints as she went. She returned to where Morgan was standing and pointed to the trail of footprints.  
  
"I think you missed a spot," said Adrianna. Morgan was fit to be tied.  
  
"I already mopped that! It was clean until you walked down the middle of it!" she shouted.  
  
Adrianna simply shrugged.  
  
Morgan turned to Oliver.  
  
"If Professor Brighton is not happy then neither am I. Perhaps next time you will think twice before you call her a dirty name," said Oliver.  
  
She mopped the hall again, quickly this time, while Oliver watched.  
  
"I'm not doing it again," Morgan said stubbornly.  
  
Oliver looked down the corridor. He couldn't deny that it was clean enough to see his reflection in.  
  
"Very well Miss Heard, you are free to go." He handed her wand back, and she practically ran in the direction of the Slytherin common room.  
  
Downstairs, Isabelle was washing the last quidditch robe. The front of her own robes was soaked, and she had mud all over her from the filthy quidditch robes. She glared at Oliver and Adrianna as they entered the room but said nothing. She washed the last robe in silence and hung it up to dry.  
  
"I'm finished," she said.  
  
Oliver and Adrianna inspected the robes, but didn't find and dirt anywhere.  
  
"Fine, you're dismissed," said Oliver and handed her wand to her.  
  
She stuck her nose in the air as she left the room.  
  
"Do you think either of them learned anything?" Oliver asked Adrianna.  
  
"I think that we might have got through to Morgan, but Isabelle is a lost cause. I wouldn't be surprised if she turns out to be a death eater," said Adrianna. 


	12. Fun times

The next day, there was another dueling club meeting. It was really going well so far. Fleur had taught the students several hexes, as well as the Shield Charm to block unfriendly spells. Today the students were going to have a real treat. Fleur felt that the students should have training in fighting the imperius curse, and Dumbledore agreed with her. Oliver had agreed to allow Fleur to cast the imperius curse on him as a demonstration to the students. With about a half hour left, Fleur got the students to stop dueling and addressed them.  
  
"Th0ere are 3 curses zat you may one day face. Ze penalty of using these curses on a person is a sentence in Azkaban. Zey are ze imperius curse, ze cruciatus curse and ze killing curse. I cannot demonstrate ze cruciatus curse or ze killing curse on a person for obvious reasons, but I can show you zeir effects using these spiders. Please gather around."  
  
The students gathered close around her. She sat a large spider on the stage and tapped it with her wand.  
  
"Crucio."  
  
The spider jerked violently, as if it were in unimaginable pain. She ended the curse and the spider began crawling around again. She took out a different spider and tapped it.  
  
"Avada kedavra."  
  
The spider was suddenly very still. In fact, it was dead.  
  
"Now for ze imperius curse, I will demonstrate using my assistant, Mr. Wood."  
  
Oliver walked over to where Fleur was standing, suddenly feeling very nervous.  
  
"Ready?" she whispered.  
  
Oliver nodded.  
  
"Imperio!"  
  
Oliver's mind was blissfully blank. He didn't have a care in the world. He heard Fleur saying something, but she sounded far away. Then he heard her saying something directly to him.  
  
"Take off your shoes."  
  
He had no objections. He took off his shoes without bothering to question why he was doing it.  
  
"Jump off of ze stage."  
  
He blindly obeyed her command and leapt from the stage into the crowd of students.  
  
"Shake 'ands with Severus Snape and tell 'im your name."  
  
Some of the students laughed, but Oliver did this too without wondering why he was doing it. He was unaware that anything else was happening. All he had to do was do whatever the voice told him to do.  
  
"Come back up on stage."  
  
Oliver did this, and then Fleur lifted the curse. Then she broke the students into smaller groups with herself, Oliver, Adrianna, McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick. Each professor cast the spell on students so that they could practice trying to fight it. Most of the students were unsuccessful in fighting it, just as Oliver had been. But then again, it was a very difficult curse to fight. Finally, the dueling club ended. Fleur handed a brick of chocolate to Adrianna and to Oliver.  
  
"Stand at ze door and 'and zis out to ze students," she instructed.  
  
Each student got a large piece of chocolate as they left. It was an antidote so that the students felt less exhausted after trying to fight the imperius curse. Oliver also took a large chunk of chocolate, since he too had tried to fight the curse. Besides, he needed his energy for the party that would be starting in just a few minutes.  
  
While he was handing out the chocolate, Oliver noticed Fleur sneaking out of the Great Hall with the students so that she could go upstairs for the party. After all of the students left the hall, Oliver walked over to Adrianna.  
  
"Adrianna, I found something upstairs earlier that I wanted to show you."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I can't really describe it to you, it's just something that you have to see."  
  
Adrianna gave Oliver a suspicious look, but curiosity got the better of her and she left the hall with him.  
  
"Smooth one," Oliver thought sarcastically.  
  
"You did a great job fighting that curse," Adrianna teased.  
  
"I couldn't help it. I was never under the imperius curse before. It felt like a dream, and all I had to do was listen to the voice."  
  
"I know what it feels like. You have to question what you're doing, and then you have to try to disobey the person controlling you."  
  
They arrived at the History of Magic classroom. Oliver slowed his steps and put his hand on Adrianna's arm to stop her.  
  
"In here," he said.  
  
He stood back and waited for Adrianna to open the door, but she wouldn't.  
  
"You open it. There is something going on, I can tell. You're acting very... weird."  
  
"I couldn't possibly. Ladies first."  
  
"I'm not opening that door. It's a trick."  
  
"I swear there's no trick, just open the door!"  
  
She rolled her eyes and walked up to the door, then pushed it open cautiously. She took a few steps into the room. Oliver entered behind her and stood right beside her.  
  
"SURPRISE!" Adrianna shrieked and grabbed Oliver's arm tightly as her friends emerged from various hiding places around the room.  
  
"What's going on? It's not my birthday," she said, releasing his arm from her grip.  
  
"I know that. I knew that you were upset after what happened earlier this week, so I threw this party and asked your friends to come to try to cheer you up."  
  
Adrianna smiled at him "Thank you," she said softly.  
  
She turned to all of the people who were looking at them. "I can't believe you guys are all here! I haven't seen some of you in forever and a day! I guess some of you might not know each other. This is Oliver, as you might have guessed."  
  
She went around the room and motioned to each person as she said their name. "Fleur, Nikki, Sonia, Flynnie, Kilch, Brenda, Daphne, Steph."  
  
Oliver couldn't help noticing that he was the only guy in the room. Flynnie and Kilch had turned out to be witches, and very beautiful witches at that. In fact, all of the witches in the room were very beautiful.  
  
But the lack of wizards made him feel a little uncomfortable. He wondered why there weren't any other wizards there. Adrianna had been pretty good friends with at least one wizard since his name was in her address book, but she had crossed his name out... there had to be a reason.  
  
Oliver looked at the table full of snack foods which the house-elves had been kind enough to make. There were chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin juice, pitchers of water, little cream-filled pastries, and a tray of assorted fruits and vegetables. Dumbledore had been kind enough to bring Adrianna's CD player downstairs, figuring that she would like to have music at her party. Adrianna put in a CD of mixed muggle hits and began to talk to her friends.  
  
Oliver poured himself a cup of pumpkin juice and sat in a chair. He saw Flynnie walk over to the table and place a bottle of a dark liquid there. It was the same thing that the students had been drinking in the Muggle Studies classroom the day that he's asked Rob Jordan to announce the quidditch game.  
  
"Excuse me," Oliver said to Flynnie, "What is that?"  
  
"Soda. Coke to be exact."  
  
"What's it taste like?"  
  
"I dunno. It has its own taste. Try some."  
  
Oliver poured a little bit of Coke into a cup and tasted it.  
  
"It's different, but good."  
  
Flynnie poured herself part of a glass of water, then took out her wand. "It's even better if you do this. Eye of rabbit, heartstring hum, turn this water into rum!"  
  
The water turned into rum, and she filled the glass the rest of the way with Coke.  
  
"Try a sip," she said, handing it to Oliver.  
  
He took a long sip. "This is really good," he said, handing the glass back. "So Flynnie, what do you do for a living?"  
  
"I'm the nurse for the Salem Witches' Institute."  
  
"How do you know Adrianna?"  
  
"We went to school together. The Salem Witches' Institute, actually. Don't let the name fool you, it's not an all-girls school. It was founded by the real Salem witches. You've heard of the Salem witch trials, right?"  
  
Oliver nodded.  
  
"Well, they only caught one real witch. Her name was Tituba. It was her own fault really, performing magic right in front of muggles like she did. But she confessed, and made up a story about muggles helping her, so then the trials turned to muggles. Well, the real witches of Salem thought it would be funny to start a school right there where so many innocent muggles were accused of being witches. The school is in a wooded area near Salem. It's unplotable and has tons of muggle-repelling charms on it."  
  
"Did all of these people go to the same school as you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Then Adrianna came over to then. She saw Flynnie's glass of rum and coke.  
  
"Tell me that's not what I think it is, Flynnie."  
  
"I would... but then I'd be lying!" Flynnie replied with a laugh.  
  
Adrianna laughed too, and then left to get a glass of pumpkin juice.  
  
"Well, it was nice meeting you Flynnie," said Oliver.  
  
"I think I'm going to talk to some other people now."  
  
Oliver talked Sonia for a little while. He remembered her from the quidditch game they had played against each other, and she remembered him as well. They talked about quidditch since it was something that they had in common.  
  
"I was really sad when Adrianna told me that she's not playing quidditch anymore," said Sonia. "I'm losing one of my best players. But her contract's up, and I can't make her stay if it's not what she wants to do."  
  
"I can understand why she would want to quit," said Oliver. "I am so busy here. I can't even imagine how tired I am going to be when I have practice on top of classes and things. Her schedule is even crazier than mine. I don't know how she would find the time for quidditch. I have another year left on my contract, so I don't have a choice right now. I don't know if I would actually quit even if I could, though. I love the game too much."  
  
"Yeah I definitely agree with you about loving the game. I think I'm going to get something to eat now, but it was nice seeing you again Oliver!"  
  
As Sonia left, Kilch approached Oliver. "Hey Oliver, it's good to see you again! Remember me?"  
  
Oliver really didn't recognize her from anywhere.  
  
"Sorry, no. How do we know each other?"  
  
"Well, we were never actually introduced until tonight. I'm the seeker for the American quidditch team."  
  
Oliver looked at her for a moment. She had just the right build for a seeker. Now that he thought about it, he did kind of recognize her. "What's your full name?"  
  
"Amy Kilchenstein."  
  
"You were hit with a bludger in the game that I played against you. Adrianna was the one who caught the Snitch in that game," Oliver recalled.  
  
"Yep, that would be me."  
  
Adrianna cut into their conversation. "Come on peeps, let's dance!"  
  
She grabbed them both by one of their wrists and pulled them toward the middle of the room, where Sonia and Fleur were already dancing. She left the group and came back a minute later with Nikki in tow. She left yet again and tried to get Flynnie to dance.  
  
"It's going to take a few more rum and cokes before I'll be ready to dance," Oliver heard Flynnie saying.  
  
Next Adrianna tried to get Daphne and Brenda to come to the dance floor, but both adamantly refused. Adrianna finally gave up on them and came back to the group that was dancing. Oliver stood in the group, but felt really awkward. He didn't know how to dance. He agreed with Flynnie. It would take several rum and cokes before he would be able to dance without feeling self- conscious.  
  
He left the group and asked Flynnie about the incantation for turning water into rum. Three or four glasses later, both Oliver and Flynnie decided to hit the dance floor. Flynnie jumped right in and started dancing with the rest of the girls. Oliver stayed on the outer edge of the group and watched the girls dance. Adrianna was a really good dancer. She seemed to be having a blast. Oliver was really glad that he'd throw this party for her. Adrianna spotted him standing outside of the group stepped out of the group to talk to him.  
  
"Why did you leave earlier?"  
  
"I needed something to drink. Besides, I can't dance."  
  
"Sure you can. Would you like me to teach you?"  
  
Had he not been under the influence he probably would have said no, but given his current condition, "Alright."  
  
She placed one of his hands on her hip and put one of her hands on his shoulder. She kept a comfortable distance between them and started to dance. He moved with her and followed what she did.  
  
"This isn't so hard after all," he thought. "It's actually kind of fun." He pulled her just a little closer, and she didn't protest. They danced like that for a couple of songs before Sonia tapped Adrianna on the shoulder.  
  
"May I cut in?"  
  
"Absolutely," said Adrianna and backed away from Oliver.  
  
Sonia began to dance with him. He was a little disappointed that Adrianna had let her cut in, but she was a good dancer so he didn't mind that much.  
  
Oliver noticed Adrianna leave the group to say something to Daphne and Brenda. The looked like they were saying goodbye. She handed each of them their portkey and they left. One by one, the other guests said goodbye to Adrianna and left with their portkeys. Finally just Oliver, Adrianna and Fleur were left.  
  
"Well, I think I will be off to bed. Goodnight," said Fleur and left.  
  
"Did you have fun tonight?" Oliver asked Adrianna.  
  
"Yes, it was wonderful! Thank you so much," she said and gave him a big hug. They walked upstairs together and stopped in front of the door to Adrianna's office.  
  
"Good night," he said softly.  
  
"Thanks again. Sweet dreams," she said and slipped into her office, closing the door behind her.  
  
The next day was the first quidditch practice of the season with the Scottish team. Oliver woke up with a headache and had to force himself to get out of bed and get dressed in his quidditch robes. He grabbed his broomstick and was ready to set off for Hogsmeade so that he could apparate to the quidditch pitch, but before he left he decided that he needed something for his headache. He went to the hospital wing and asked Madam Pomfrey for a potion. She gave him a disapproving look.  
  
"Were you drinking last night, young man?"  
  
"A little. Please Poppy, just help me out. I have quidditch practice and I can't play feeling like this."  
  
She shook her head and still looked disapproving, but took a large bottle from a shelf in her office and poured a thick blue liquid into a glass. Oliver gulped it down but wanted to spit it back out. It tasted awful. Madam Pomfrey laughed at him.  
  
"You have to pay for your mistake one way or another. If it's not a headache, it's a bad-tasting potion," she said with a wink.  
  
Oliver left the castle and walked briskly toward Hogsmeade. As soon as he was off of Hogwarts grounds, he apparated to the quidditch pitch. All of his teammates from last season were back, and he received some good- natured teasing from them about not being at practice yesterday. He heard various comments such as "good of you to show up today" and "it's nice to have the WHOLE team here for practice". He laughed them off and concentrated on doing his best in practice.  
  
That evening after practice, Oliver took a hot bath in his jacuzzi tub to sooth his aching muscles. He had done some stuff in the off-season to stay in shape, but he had forgotten how rigorous Leslie's practices could be. 


	13. Treading on thin ice

The month of November arrived that week, bringing with it two things: a very cold, wintry north wind, and the first inter-house quidditch game of the year at Hogwarts. None of the professors at Hogwarts could remember weather this cold so early in the year, not even Dumbledore.  
  
The upcoming quidditch match was between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Both teams were practicing even more than usual not just because the match was coming up soon, but also so that they could get used to playing in the cold weather. Oliver was going absolutely insane trying to do everything that he needed to do. There were Hogwarts quidditch practices to oversee, his own quidditch practices to attend, classes to teach, and lessons to prepare. He didn't have time for anything else anymore. Adrianna came with him to a Ravenclaw practice one night so that they would have a little bit of time to talk, but even that didn't work very well because Oliver was trying to grade a stack of quizzes and watch quidditch practice at the same time.  
  
"Oliver, you're going to burn yourself out," Adrianna told him. "You never take a minute to rest. You barely even sleep! You can't keep going like this."  
  
"I know, and I hate having to do this. But I don't really have a choice. I have another year left on my contract with Scotland, and I can't leave my position here in the middle of the year."  
  
"You're no good to your quidditch team if you can't give it your all, and you're no good to the students if your mind isn't on teaching. You're going to have to decide what's more important to you, Hogwarts or quidditch."  
  
On Saturday, the entire school came out to watch the first quidditch game of the season, Hufflepuff v Ravenclaw. The cold weather hadn't lifted. If anything, it had gotten colder. Everyone was bundled up in several layers of clothes and their cloaks and scarves. Even the quidditch players were wearing their heavy winter cloaks underneath of their house quidditch uniforms. Oliver wore his long black cloak over top of his black and white striped referee's robes. He carried the wooden crate that contained the bludgers, quaffle and snitch onto the field. Sofie, in Ravenclaw robes, and Lauren, in Hufflepuff robes, both stepped forward.  
  
"Shake hands," said Oliver and after they did, Lauren returned to her position as seeker.  
  
Another Hufflepuff player came forward for the face off.  
  
"Now mount your brooms. I want a nice, clean game from all of you," said Oliver, looking into the eyes of each of the 14 players. He released the snitch and the bludgers.  
  
"Good luck, and may the best team win!" He threw the quaffle into the air, signaling the start of the game.  
  
Oliver leapt onto his broom and flew into the air so that he could observe the game effectively. Sofie grabbed the quaffle with lightning speed and zoomed toward the Hufflepuff goal posts. She put a good distance between herself and the Hufflepuff chasers, dodged a bludger, and scored easily.  
  
"Ten points for Ravenclaw!" Rob shouted into the magical megaphone.  
  
The Hufflepuff chaser threw the quaffle to one of their chasers, but another Ravenclaw chaser intercepted it and scored again for Ravenclaw. Not 5 minutes later Lauren, who had been hovering above the game, took off after the snitch with the Ravenclaw seeker right behind her. Sofie saw what was happening.  
  
"Go Emma, faster! Knock Lauren off her broom if you have to!"  
  
The snitch suddenly changed it direction, and Emma responded faster than Lauren was able to. She stretched out her arm and grabbed the snitch.  
  
"Ravenclaw wins in the shortest match that Hogwarts has seen in quite a while!" yelled Rob into the megaphone.  
  
The Ravenclaw team touched down on the ground, where other students from their house were spilling onto the field. There were high fives and slaps on the back in every direction as the students slowly made their way off of the pitch.  
  
Oliver spent the next three weeks trying to juggle all of his responsibilities. He had done a lot of thinking about what Adrianna had said to him at that quidditch practice a few weeks ago. He realized that she was right. He WAS burned out, and he didn't feel very useful anywhere because he was spreading himself so thin. He loved playing quidditch, but he knew that he couldn't do that forever. Right now he was on top of his game, but that wouldn't always be the case. One day, someone would come along who was younger, faster and stronger than him.  
  
But Hogwarts, that was something more permanent. And he was still involved with quidditch at Hogwarts, he just wasn't playing anymore. In addition to that, he absolutely loved teaching. For the most part, he couldn't ask for better students. He had a special connection with his teammates, but he had a feeling that once he was gone then the connection would be gone as well. At Hogwarts, he had friends. Amazing friends. Real friends that would be his friends and support him no matter what he decided. And after considering everything, he knew that he didn't want to leave Hogwarts. If he had to give up something, it would have to be quidditch. He decided that he would talk to Leslie at practice the next day. Something had to give before he ended up suffering from a nervous breakdown.  
  
Oliver approached Leslie the next day when practice was over. "Leslie, there's something I need to talk to you about," he said a little nervously.  
  
"What is it, Oliver?"  
  
"I- I can't do this anymore. I can't play quidditch and teach at the same time. It's taking too much out of me. I can't properly concentrate on anything anymore."  
  
"You have another year left on your contract. Your binding, magical contract."  
  
"I know." Oliver said. The frustration that he felt was evident in his voice. "Could you put me on the reserve team for the rest of the year?"  
  
"You're the best keeper Scotland has had for a long time, Oliver. A lot of people would be upset if I put you on the reserve team for no good reason."  
  
"So what? You want what's best for the team, right? And I'm no good for the team like this. People can say what they want, but they'll get over it. The Americans weren't too pleased to hear that Brighton isn't going to renew her contract, but there's nothing they can do. That was her decision, and this is my decision."  
  
"Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I do put you on the reserve team. What am I supposed to tell the Daily Prophet and everyone else?"  
  
"Tell then that you had to do it for personal reasons. Tell them that I'm losing my touch. Tell them that you wanted to try out your reserve keeper and see what she's got. I don't really care. You could make up just about anything as long as it sounds convincing."  
  
"What happened to the Oliver I used to know? The one who was passionate about quidditch? The one who wouldn't have given up quidditch for a million galleons?"  
  
"Things change, Leslie. People change."  
  
"You're absolutely sure that you want to give it up? I'm not going to let my reserve keeper think that she's on the quidditch team, only for you to change your mind later and bump her out of the position."  
  
Oliver took a deep breath. "I'm sure."  
  
"Alright, it's done. I'll put you on the reserve team. The only practices you'll need to attend are the Sunday morning practices that I have just for the reserve team."  
  
"Thank you so much Leslie. You don't know how much I appreciate it."  
  
The next week, it was already the beginning of December. Oliver missed spending time with Adrianna and Fleur, so the three of them decided to spend the entire day hanging out together on Saturday. After having lunch together, they went outside and spent the day playing in the snow that came up to their knees. Friday had been an unusually warm day compared to the weather that they'd been having, but Saturday was frigid once again.  
  
They didn't let the cold didn't bother them though. They made snow angels all over the grounds and built a snow fort down near the lake. Then they had a snow battle. They threw snowballs at each other and tackled each other, laughing and tumbling in the snow. Adrianna hid behind a large bush to catch her breath, but Oliver saw her and waited on the other side until she came out. He barreled into her, knocking her over backwards and landing right beside her. He sat up and looked at her. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold. Her long golden hair was spread out around her on the snow, shining in the setting winter sun. Her big, denim blue eyes stared into his, and for a few moments neither of them moved.  
  
They just stayed there, staring at each other like that until they hear Fleur saying "We should go back to ze castle soon. It is almost time for dinner."  
  
Oliver reluctantly stood up and helped Adrianna to her feet. He looked at the castle and realized that they were all the way on the other side of the lake.  
  
"We could walk back across the lake so we're not late," Adrianna suggested.  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea? It was a pretty warm day yesterday," Oliver cautioned.  
  
"It was one warm day in an entire month of frigid temperatures. I'll bet that lake is frozen solid the whole way the bottom," she countered. She slid down the bank onto the lake, walked out about 10 feet, and jumped up and down a few times. "See? Frozen."  
  
Oliver and Fleur slid down the bank and started across the lake. Adrianna was still walking farther ahead of them. She turned around.  
  
"Come on, slowpokes!"  
  
They walked for about five minutes. Oliver and Fleur were just past the middle of the lake, and Adrianna was a little bit ahead of them. She came to a sudden halt where she was standing, then turned around.  
  
"Go back!" she yelled frantically. "There's a cr..."  
  
Her sentence ended abruptly as she disappeared. There was a large, dark, jagged hole in the ice where she had been standing just a moment ago.  
  
"Adrianna!" Oliver yelled. He felt as though he had just been hit by a stunning charm. He desperately wanted to help Adrianna, but didn't seem capable of moving. Fleur fumbled with her robes for a moment and pulled out her wand.  
  
"Wingardium leviosa!" she shouted, aiming her wand at the hole in the ice. Adrianna's body emerged from the lake and hovered over the hole.  
  
"Accio!" cried Fleur, summoning Adrianna across the ice to them. "Finite incantatem," said Fleur, and Adrianna fell to the ice in front of them.  
  
"We will 'ave to go back ze way we came," Fleur said to Oliver as he helped Adrianna up.  
  
Fleur and Oliver put one of her arms around each of their shoulders to support her. Adrianna was dripping wet and shivering uncontrollably. She could barely walk and kept stumbling. She wasn't very alert, and couldn't talk because her teeth were chattering so much. She stumbled across the lake with their help, but as they reached the edge of the lake she collapsed and fell into the snow.  
  
"You will 'ave to carry 'er ze rest of ze way. I am going to go ahead and get Poppy," said Fleur, and broke into a run in the direction of the castle.  
  
Oliver noticed that Adrianna's clothes and hair had a thin coating of ice. He took off her icy cloak and wrapped his own dry cloak around her, then lifted her limp body into his arms and headed toward the castle. She was now shaking violently. She was still conscious, but just barely. She rested her head against his shoulder.  
  
"Hang in there, Adrianna. Don't die on me," he said desperately as he went as quickly as his legs would take him back to the castle.  
  
By the time Oliver made it back to the castle, Adrianna had lost consciousness. Her lips were blue, and she had stopped shivering. She was still breathing, but her breath was very slow and shallow. As he reached the doors he saw Lauren coming outside.  
  
"Lauren hold the door!" he yelled as he climbed the stairs. Lauren's eyes grew wide when she saw who Oliver was carrying, but she held the door open for him. He ran through the corridors toward the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had piled thick woolen blankets high on one of the hospital beds, and there was a stretcher hovering next to the bed. She and Fleur were filling hot water bottles.  
  
"Put her on the stretcher," Madam Pomfrey instructed without turning around. Oliver did so, and Poppy bustled over.  
  
"Help Professor Delacour fill those hot water bottles," she said as she drew a curtain around herself and Adrianna. Oliver heard Poppy use a severing charm to remove Adrianna's icy, wet robes. Then Poppy moved her into the hospital bed.  
  
"Are the hot water bottles ready yet?" she called from behind the curtain.  
  
"Yes," Fleur responded.  
  
"Bring them here quickly," said Poppy. Fleur gathered them in her arms and disappeared behind the curtain around Adrianna's bed.  
  
"Run downstairs and ask Severus for a warming potion. If he has any questions, tell him to come and see me," Oliver heard Poppy telling Fleur.  
  
Fleur emerged from behind the curtain and jogged out of the Hospital wing. Poppy stuck her head out from behind the curtain.  
  
"Oliver, I'll need you to get me a thermometer from my office," she instructed. Oliver did as he was told. Poppy took the thermometer from him and emerged a few minutes later.  
  
"It's a miracle that she's still alive," she said. "That girl should be dead."  
  
"She's going to be OK though, right Poppy?"  
  
"It is too soon to tell, Oliver. I can only hope for the best and monitor her throughout the night."  
  
Fleur returned a few minutes later with Severus Snape and a bottle filled with warming potion.  
  
"What's going on?" asked Snape.  
  
"Professor Brighton fell in the lake and has hypothermia. Without this potion she will probably die. I can't give it to her unless she regains consciousness, though," Poppy explained. "Do any of you know the password for Professor Brighton's rooms? She will probably want her pajamas if she wakes up."  
  
Snape and Fleur both shook their heads.  
  
"I do," said Oliver.  
  
"Would you be kind enough to go and get her pajamas? Bring the warmest ones you can find."  
  
Oliver nodded and left the hospital wing. He stood in front of the bookcase.  
  
"Can you hear me now? Good."  
  
The door swung open. Oliver walked through Adrianna's living room into the bedroom and opened up her wardrobe. He found a pair of one-piece fleece pajamas that zipped up the front. He also grabbed a pair of regular flannel pajamas and some warm woolen socks. On his way out he saw Chip lying on the rug in front of the fireplace, where the fire had burned out.  
  
"Come on, Chip. Adrianna might not be back for a while."  
  
Chip got up and followed Oliver out of Adrianna's rooms. Oliver went back to the hospital wing with the pajamas and gave them to Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"Please Poppy, can we see her?" asked Oliver.  
  
"I suppose, but try not to open the curtains too far. I want to keep out the draft."  
  
Oliver, Fleur and Severus slipped through the opening in the curtains and gathered around her bed. Oliver's breath caught in his throat when he saw her. Poppy had tucked the blankets tightly around her so that the only part of her that wasn't covered was her face. Her skin was so pale that it was almost white. Her lips were still a pale shade of blue. If it weren't for her shallow but even breathing, Oliver would have thought that she was dead. Oliver had forgotten about Chip until now, when he jumped up on the bed and curled up on Adrianna's stomach.  
  
"What is that and how did it get in here?" yelled Snape.  
  
"It's Chip, her pet kneazle. I brought him with me because I thought that he might get lonely if Adrianna is here for a while," said Oliver.  
  
After hearing Snape yell, Madam Pomfrey came through the curtain. She spotted Chip lying on Adrianna's stomach. "Brilliant," she said. "That kneazle will help bring up her body temperature."  
  
She looked at the small group gathered around Adrianna's bed. "I am sorry, but you'll all have to at least wait outside the curtain. If she wakes up I'll need room to work."  
  
Severus and Fleur shuffled out of the curtained area. Oliver waited until they were gone, then kissed Adrianna gently on the forehead and emerged from the partition behind them. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore had entered the hospital wing while he'd been inside the curtain. Both wore very anxious looks on their faces.  
  
"How is she?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
"It doesn't look good," said Snape. "She's barely alive now. If she doesn't wake, Poppy won't be able to administer the potion. She might not make it through the night."  
  
One by one, other teachers made their way into the hospital wing. Even Professor Trelawney put in an appearance. "I saw it happening when I was crystal gazing earlier," she said. "The poor girl..."  
  
"Oh, shove it Sybil!" shouted Professor McGonagall, to everyone's surprise. "We don't want to hear it. All will reveal itself in good time." 


	14. Recovery

An hour or two later, Oliver sat in a chair in the hospital wing. He felt very alone even though most of the staff was still there. He couldn't bear the thought that Adrianna might not live through the night. Today's events had helped him realized what he had known for a long time, but had been unable to voice. He loved her. He thought about how it might change their relationship if he told her how he felt and she didn't feel the same way. But if she were truly his friend, she would understand. He knew that he would regret it if he didn't tell her how he felt. Provided that she was still alive come tomorrow, that is.  
  
It was pure torture for Oliver not knowing if she was going to pull through. He wished that there were something that he could do for her. He thought about the time that he had thrown the party for her to cheer her up when she was upset, but no party would save her now. He remembered taking the address book from her nightstand... and then he remembered what had been next to it, something that he had just passed over then. There had been a Bible in the nightstand. He now remembered that Adrianna was a Christian. Surely her God would save her... but how did a person go about talking to God if they weren't a Christian? And what if her God wouldn't hear him since he wasn't a Christian? Oliver decided it was worth a shot to try anyhow. He would do anything to save her. And for the first time in his life, he prayed.  
  
"Dear God, I want to ask you to make Adrianna well again. You see, she's nearly dead... Madam Pomfrey says it's a miracle that she isn't already dead. God, I just want her to get better. I've never wanted anything so badly in my life. If you could just make her better... I know that I would never be able to thank you enough."  
  
Not ten minutes later, Madam Pomfrey emerged from behind the curtain and grabbed the bottle of warming potion. She emerged again a few minutes later. "She's conscious but not coherent. I gave her the potion. It's still too soon to know anything for sure, but her odds are greatly improved. That potion should raise her core temperature significantly."  
  
"Thank you, God," Oliver said quietly.  
  
He must have dozed off sometime during the night, because the next thing he knew he was being shaken awake by Fleur and the sun was streaming in the windows of the hospital wing.  
  
"Oliver, Adrianna is awake and she wants to talk to you. I just finished talking with 'er."  
  
He got up out of his chair and strode across the room to area that was partitioned off with the long white curtains. He slipped through the opening. Adrianna looked a lot better than she had last night. She was still pale compared to normal, but she had some color in her cheeks and lips. She had changed into the fleece pajamas that he'd brought from her rooms. She was no longer cocooned in blankets, but was lying back against the white pillow with the blankets piled on top of her. Her hands were folded on top of the blankets. Chip was curled up at her feet, fast asleep. Oliver sat on a high metal stool next to her bed so that he was facing her.  
  
"How do you feel, Adrianna?"  
  
"All things considered, I guess I'm alright. I'm so cold though."  
  
"You had us all so worried last night. We thought that you might not make it."  
  
"I guess it was a pretty stupid idea to walk across the lake, huh?"  
  
"Yeah." Oliver reached across the bed and took her hands in his. They felt like ice. He looked right into her deep blue eyes. "But in a way, I'm almost glad that it happened because it made me realize something that I have felt for a long time. There is something that I have to tell you, and if you don't feel the same way I'll understand... Adrianna, I love you."  
  
For a moment she didn't say anything. "For real?" she finally managed.  
  
"For real."  
  
"Oliver, you don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say that," she said, smiling.  
  
Now it was Oliver's turn to grin. "Then you feel the same way about me?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
Oliver could barely believe it. This seemed too good to be true. He removed one of his hands from Adrianna's and pinched himself hard on the forearm. It definitely hurt.  
  
Adrianna looked alarmed. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I had to make sure that this is real... that I'm not just dreaming it and going to wake up to find that I'm still single."  
  
She chuckled. "It's real," she assured him.  
  
He slid off of the stool, leaned over her and kissed her gently on the lips. He pulled away a little sooner than he wanted to, but figured that he shouldn't rush things, especially considering Adrianna's condition.  
  
"So, now that you're my girlfriend... would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"  
  
"I would be honored," she said, still smiling. Just then Madam Pomfrey slipped behind the curtain with a small tray of food for Adrianna.  
  
"Still in here Oliver?"  
  
"I was just leaving, Poppy," he said, standing up straight.  
  
"Will you visit me later?" asked Adrianna  
  
"If I'm allowed," he replied with a glance at Madam Pomfrey.  
  
Oliver left the hospital wing and went downstairs for a quick lunch. Only after he took a seat at the staff table and started eating did he realize just how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. As soon as he was done eating, he returned to the hospital wing. Poppy was nowhere to be seen. The lights were out in her office and the door was shut. Oliver stuck his head through the opening in the curtain and saw Dumbledore standing over Adrianna, reading a thermometer.  
  
"Your temperature is still a little low, but you're well on the road to recovery. I think Poppy will let you leave the hospital wing by Wednesday," he said to her.  
  
"Come in Oliver, I know you're anxious to see her again," Dumbledore said as he turned around and spied Oliver's head.  
  
"Where's Poppy?" asked Oliver.  
  
"After being up all night, Poppy needed a break. She's sleeping in her office. I'll be outside if you need anything," said Dumbledore with a wink and disappeared through the curtain.  
  
Adrianna was now propped up in a sitting position against a stack of pillows. Oliver sat down on the edge of her bed.  
  
"Glad you could make it back," said Adrianna with a smile.  
  
"Lucky Poppy's sleeping or I might not have. You know, it was strange last night. I felt so helpless. Like I wanted to do something for you but I couldn't. And then I remembered the Bible in your nightstand..."  
  
"Excuse me? When were you in my nightstand?"  
  
Oliver's face went red. "Well...you see...remember that party I threw for you?"  
  
Adrianna's eyes narrowed.  
  
"I kind of found your address book in the nightstand. That's how I sent out the invitations. I couldn't tell you or you would have found out about the party. Anyhow, when I got the address book I saw your Bible next to it. And I remembered it last night. And then I thought that maybe if I talked to your God, He might help you. So I did, and right after that you woke up and Poppy gave you the potion that saved you."  
  
"What did you think of that?"  
  
"I really don't know what to think. On one hand, I think that maybe the prayer worked. But on the other hand, I think that maybe it was just a coincidence. You might have woken up then even if I hadn't prayed."  
  
"I think there are two kinds of people in the world. The first kind sees everything as luck. Coincidences. You might have a string of good luck, or a string of bad luck. But they don't think that anything's connected. What happens, happens. And they have no hope. But the second kind, they see things differently. They see miracles. They think that there is some force out there that's in control of everything, and that everything happens for a reason. For them, there are no coincidences. And no matter how bad things get, these people still have hope. So now you have to ask yourself, which type are you?"  
  
"Until last night, I thought I was a luck kind of person. But now I'm not so sure. After seeing what happened with you... I'd have to say I'm a miracles person. I don't really think it was a coincidence. What about you?"  
  
Adrianna smiled. "I'm a miracle person. I believe that God is in control of everything. There are no coincidences."  
  
Both of them were quiet for a few minutes. Then Adrianna broke the comfortable silence.  
  
"They say that honesty is the most important thing in a relationship. Do you agree or disagree?"  
  
"I agree."  
  
Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Good. So Oliver, how many other girlfriends have you had? I mean, you're so sweet and strong and handsome, you probably had girls waiting in line for you."  
  
"None, actually. You're the first girl I've ever been interested in. All I ever cared about was quidditch before, but there was just something about you that...captured me. I knew from the first time saw you, when you scored against me in the quidditch game we played against each other. And thanks for the compliments," he finished with a wink. "Now it's only fair that I ask you the same question. You're so beautiful, I bet you've had loads of boyfriends. You probably had boys beating down the doors."  
  
Adrianna laughed sarcastically. "Hardly. I've never had a boyfriend before. I was thoroughly convinced that all guys were jerks until I met you."  
  
"Oh really? Why is that?"  
  
"When I went to Salem, we had a spring ball every year for sixth and seventh years. When I was a seventh year, I asked this guy Michael to go with me. And he said yes! I was so excited. I had dress robes, shoes, the whole nine yards. But then, a couple weeks before the ball, he started avoiding me. Finally I just asked him what the deal was, and he told me that he'd decided to go with another girl. Oh, but that's not the best part. Fast forward, two years later. I asked a guy from college to go to the fall formal with me. First he said yes. Then he changed his mind and said no. Then I found out that he had decided to go after all, just not with me. He did some other really mean things too. After that, I was fed up with guys. I decided that from then on, I was going to keep my emotions in check. If a guy was interested in me, he could make the first move. I liked you from the day I met you in Hogsmeade, but I wouldn't let myself show you anything but friendship until now."  
  
Oliver continued to talk with Adrianna for a couple more of hours in the hospital wing, but after a while Madam Pomfrey bustled through the curtains with a thermometer. She looked rather annoyed to see Oliver.  
  
"Out, Mr. Wood! Adrianna is very ill. She needs her rest."  
  
She chased Oliver away from the hospital bed and out of the curtained area. He walked past the great hall on the way back to his rooms and saw that it was full of students. Only then did he realize that it was already time for dinner. He didn't feel very hungry but wandered into the Great Hall and took a seat at the staff table. He picked at his food for a little while, and then went back to his rooms. He sat down with Quidditch Through the Ages and wrote up a lesson plan for the next day, but it took him much longer than it should have because he couldn't focus. His mind kept wandering back to Adrianna. After he was finally finished with the lesson plan he thought about going for a ride on his broomstick to clear his mind... and then he remembered that he was supposed to be at quidditch practice that morning.  
  
Oliver groaned out loud. Leslie was probably furious with him, but between what had happened yesterday and his long conversation with Adrianna today, he had totally forgotten about the practice. He quickly scribbled down a note of apology to Leslie, then called for Lightning to deliver it. The realization that he had missed quidditch practice had taken the fun out the idea of a broomstick ride, so Oliver decided instead to go back to the hospital wing and see Adrianna. On his way there, he stopped in front of a huge painting of a bowl of fruit and tickled the pear. It squirmed for a few minutes before turning into a green door handle. He seized the handle and pulled the door open. He was now in the kitchens, surrounded by house- elves.  
  
"Would Mr. Wood like a cup of tea?" asked one of the house-elves in a squeaky voice.  
  
"Errr... no thanks. I was just wondering if you might have a vase for flowers with a little water in it."  
  
Almost instantly, another group of house-elves appeared, one of them carrying a vase half full of water.  
  
"Wow, thanks."  
  
As Oliver turned to leave, the house-elves that were surrounding him offered him all sorts of sweets. He politely refused them and backed out of the kitchens. As soon as he'd made his way out of the kitchens he took out his wand.  
  
"Orchideous!" he said, and a bouquet of brightly colored flowers burst from the end of his wand. He scooped them up from the floor and arranged them in the vase, then took them to the hospital wing for Adrianna. He found her fast asleep. She looked so peaceful lying there that he didn't want to disturb her so he just put the flowers on the bedside table, kissed her on the forehead, and left.  
  
Oliver visited Adrianna faithfully until she was released from the hospital wing on Tuesday night. She was still weak, but she was sick of being stuck in bed and fussed over and insisted that she was feeling good enough to leave. Oliver walked her back to her rooms, with Chip following right behind them.  
  
"Do you think you'll be ready to go back to teaching tomorrow?" Oliver asked.  
  
"I think so. I feel alright. I'm not ready to go out and run a marathon or anything, but I think I've nearly recovered. Besides, I feel bad that the other teachers have been filling in for my classes during their free periods." They were back at Adrianna's rooms in no time. Adrianna said her password and the bookshelf swung open. Oliver stood with her in the doorway to her rooms.  
  
"Good night, Adrianna," he said softly. He pulled her close and kissed her gently on the lips. He pulled away after a few moments. Adrianna threw her arms around his neck, leaned in and kissed him passionately. They made out in the doorway for what seemed like a very short time, but was really quite a while. Finally, Adrianna pulled away from him.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Oliver," she said with a smile as she slipped through the doorway and pulled the bookshelf closed behind her. 


	15. First Date

Oliver found it very hard not to walk right up to Adrianna and kiss her when they passed in the corridors. He wanted to so badly, but they had agreed that it was best not to show any displays of affection in front of the students. They spent as much time together as possible. They sat next to each other at every meal, and if they weren't teaching or preparing their lessons they were visiting each other. They spent a lot of time talking but probably an equal amount of time making out or cuddling in front of the fire.  
  
On Thursday night Oliver was stretched out on his couch, his back resting against the cushioned arm. Adrianna was sitting on his lap, leaning back against him with her head resting on his shoulder. Oliver wrapped his arms around her and rested his hands on her stomach.  
  
"Adrianna, what are you doing tomorrow night?" She turned slightly so that she could see his face.  
  
"Nothing that I'm aware of, but I have a feeling that's about to change."  
  
Oliver smiled. "Do you want to go on a date with me?"  
  
"I'd love to. What did you have in mind?"  
  
"I can't tell you. It's a surprise."  
  
"I like surprises." She kissed him softly on the lips. Oliver returned her kiss with a slightly more passionate one, and then pulled back.  
  
"I have a confession to make." Adrianna looked straight into his eyes.  
  
"Oh really? What is it?"  
  
"I don't know how to dance. Not slow or fast. And I want to dance with you at the Yule Ball, but I don't want to be an embarrassment to both of us."  
  
"Well, that's nothing to worry about. I heard that Professor Dumbledore is quite the ballroom dancer. I'm sure he would be glad to teach you. And you're already pretty good at fast dancing when you're intoxicated. You've just got to loosen up a little bit when you're sober and you'll be fine."  
  
"Can't you teach me how to slow dance?" Oliver asked hopefully.  
  
Adrianna laughed. "I don't know how to ballroom dance. I can follow if a guy leads, but I'm afraid I'm not good enough to teach you. I think Dumbledore is your best bet."  
  
Oliver feigned an annoyed sigh. "Well, if you insist."  
  
"So what am I supposed to wear tomorrow night?" "Wear something nice, but not dress robes."  
  
"Oh, that really narrows it down, thanks," she teased.  
  
"What time should I be ready by?"  
  
"I'll pick you up at your rooms at six. Don't go to dinner tomorrow."  
  
"Alright, I can't wait," said Adrianna with a smile. Oliver leaned in and kissed her. Their kiss soon turned into another make-out session.  
  
The next day after his second-year flying class, Oliver got ready for his date with Adrianna and changed into a set of nice black robes. He figured that if he wore black he couldn't clash too badly with her. He grabbed a map of London so that he could show Adrianna where they would apparate, and then left his rooms. He felt surprisingly calm as he walked down the corridor to Adrianna's rooms. He moved a very thick hollow book on the bookshelf, which revealed a door knocker, and knocked loudly. Adrianna opened the door and smiled at him.  
  
"Come on in, have a seat. I'm almost ready," she said.  
  
Oliver took a seat on the couch and waited for her to finish getting ready. She was wearing the set of royal blue dress robes that she had been wearing when they were introduced for the first time in Hogsmeade. She had taken time to do her makeup instead of just wearing her usual eyeliner and had put small, gold hoop earrings in her pierced ears. She wore her long, wavy blonde hair down and had pulled the front sections back with barrettes. At the moment she had the part that was pulled back with a barrette wrapped around her wand. She said an incantation and pulled her wand away, leaving the section of hair in a loose curl. She did the same thing with the section of hair on the other side and then walked quickly into her bedroom. She reemerged a moment later wearing black leather boots with thick platform heels.  
  
"How do I look?" she asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.  
  
"Perfect." Adrianna noticed the map that Oliver had in his hand.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It's a map of London. I thought I would show you where we're going to apparate." Adrianna suddenly looked very uncomfortable.  
  
"What's the matter?" Oliver asked with concern.  
  
"I can't apparate. I never learned how to. I heard the stories about people who tried to apparate and left half of themselves behind, and I was scared to learn. I like my body all in one piece, thanks."  
  
Oliver felt very stupid. He had just assumed that Adrianna knew how to apparate. "Well, there are other means of transportation. We could use floo powder but then we'd be all covered in soot when we get there... how about if we use a portkey?"  
  
Adrianna looked very relieved. "A portkey sounds great."  
  
Oliver transfigured an empty glass bottle into a portkey to Diagon Alley. "I set it to take us exactly one minute from now," he said, holding the bottle by its base. Adrianna gripped the neck of the bottle. They stood next to each other, waiting for the familiar jerk behind the navel followed by the feeling of rushing unimpeded through the air. A minute later, Oliver and Adrianna were standing just outside of the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley.  
  
"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Oliver said, offering Adrianna his arm.  
  
Adrianna looked around, drinking in her surroundings. She took his arm and they walked together down the cobblestone street. Oliver stopped in front of a classy-looking restaurant called Weatherbys' Inn and held the door open for Adrianna. He stepped inside the foyer right behind her, and the hostess greeted them.  
  
"Reservation for Wood," he told the hostess.  
  
"Right this way," she replied. She led them into the dining room of the restaurant, which was lit with fancy candelabras at every table. Soft music came from a grand piano in the corner that had been bewitched to play itself. She seated them at a table for two near the back of the restaurant and gave them each a menu. Adrianna looked around her for a few moments, and then looked straight into Oliver's eyes.  
  
"Oliver, this is amazing. Thank you so much."  
  
"My pleasure," he replied. He looked around the room and could barely believe what he saw. A few tables away, at a table for four, sat Fred and George Weasley, Angelina Johnson, and another girl that Oliver had never seen before. He assumed that Fred and George were on a double date. Angelina and Fred were facing Oliver's table, and Angelina looked up and saw Oliver looking in her direction. She waved at him and motioned for him to come over.  
  
"Adrianna, how would you like to meet some of my friends?" he asked.  
  
"That would be fun. When?"  
  
"Right now." He stood up and led her by the hand to Fred and George's table. Fred looked up and put down the glass of champagne that he was sipping.  
  
"Oliver Wood! Imagine seeing you in a place like this!"  
  
"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that a girl you've got with you? Don't tell me you've finally taken an interest in the opposite sex," teased George.  
  
Oliver blushed slightly at their good-natured teasing. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Adrianna. Adrianna, this is Fred, George, Angelina, and..."  
  
"Stephanie," George finished for Oliver. There was an echo of "pleased-to- meet-you" around the table. Oliver shook hands with Stephanie, a beautiful girl with long, sleek, chocolate-brown hair. Adrianna shook hands with everyone else. George picked up on Adrianna's American accent immediately. He looked as though something was clicking in his brain as he shook Adrianna's hand.  
  
"Wait a minute... your name is Adrianna... you wouldn't be Adrianna Brighton would you?"  
  
"Yes, actually."  
  
"Wow, I can't believe I'm really talking to you! You're a bloody brilliant quidditch player!"  
  
"Our sister tells us you're an amazing teacher as well," added Fred.  
  
"Aw, you guys are too sweet," she said with a grin. "Who's your sister?"  
  
"Ginny Weasley," they replied in unison.  
  
"Yes, now that you mention it I can see the resemblance."  
  
"Stephanie, what do you do?" asked Oliver.  
  
"I'm an artist. And please, call me Steph."  
  
"What kind of work do you do, Steph?"  
  
"I have a series of comic books called The Adventures of Flamma."  
  
Oliver laughed. "That's great. You and George should get along well then." He turned to Adrianna. "We should probably get back to our table. Our waitress will be back any minute."  
  
"Nice to meet you guys," said Adrianna as they turned to go back to their table. Their waitress returned within a few minutes. Oliver and Adrianna placed their orders and then talked while they waited for their food.  
  
"Oliver, what's you most embarrassing moment?" asked Adrianna with a mischievous smile.  
  
"That's a tough question. I have a lot of embarrassing moments. But think the worst one was my very first quidditch match. I was so excited. I had adrenaline pumping through my veins. I took my position as keeper and watched the field intently for the quaffle. But I never got to block a shot that game. In fact, I didn't even see much of the game. I woke up in the hospital wing a week later. Turns out I took a bludger to the head two minutes into the game. I never even saw it coming. It took awhile for me to live that one down."  
  
Adrianna chuckled. "That's not so bad. You were young and inexperienced. It could have happened to anyone."  
  
"So what about you? What's your most embarrassing moment?"  
  
"Oh geez, I don't know if I can pick just one. Does falling in the lake count?"  
  
"No! That was just plain scary."  
  
"Oh alright, I got one. When I was in college I went to a football game with a couple of friends...."  
  
"Football?"  
  
"It's a muggle sport, mainly popular in America. Anyhow, it was homecoming so the stadium was packed. One of my friends had to work at a booth on the other side of the field, so rather than walking around the stadium we decided that we would cut through the field. So we snuck over the fence at the end of the field, figuring that no one would see us. But what we didn't realize was that the flagpole was at that end of the field. And at the beginning of a sporting event in America, the national anthem is sung and everyone stands and faces the flag. As we were crossing the field, everyone looked right in our direction and the national anthem was playing! So I figured that if we kept walking, it might not look so bad but one of my friends was so shocked that she just froze where she was and put her hand over her heart. Well, we couldn't leave her there alone so we all stood there right behind the flagpole with everyone staring at us, and people that knew us recognized us! I could have died of shame," she finished, laughing.  
  
Oliver laughed as well. "That's pretty funny. I think that one beats mine."  
  
Just then, the waitress returned with their meals. They ate their dinner and sipped champagne while they chatted. When they were finished, they stepped outside into the street and took a portkey back to Hogwarts. Oliver and Adrianna found themselves in Adrianna's living room, at the same spot that they had left from.  
  
"Thank you so much, Oliver. I had a great time tonight."  
  
"What, you're saying goodnight already? The night is young and our date's not over yet," Oliver said with a sly grin.  
  
"Oh? What else did you have in mind?" she asked, looking intrigued.  
  
"You'll see," said Oliver with an air of mystery as he took her by the hand and led her out of her rooms.  
  
They walked through several corridors and up a few flights of stairs, and finally reached a tall narrow, winding staircase. Oliver led Adrianna to the top of the tower and through a door, and suddenly the full moon was shining down on them. They were standing on a large outdoor platform and there were some telescopes set up.  
  
"This is the astronomy tower," said Adrianna, looking around and wrapping her arms tightly around herself for warmth. Her breath made little clouds in the cold December night air. With a wave of his wand and a few words, Oliver made a pile of warm blankets appear. He picked one up and wrapped it around himself and Adrianna.  
  
"I thought you might enjoy gazing at the stars with me," he explained softly, slipping an arm around her waist and kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"Well, I would love to if we could see anything. But the moon is so bright, it dims all but the very brightest stars tonight," she replied, looking up at the sky.  
  
Oliver looked up and realized that she was right. Feeling disappointed, he was about to lead her back inside when he was struck with a brilliant idea. He pulled out his wand.  
  
"Accio Firebolt," he said firmly, and within moments his broomstick was hovering beside him, ready for him to ride.  
  
He noticed Adrianna pull her wand out of her robes as well, but put out a hand to stop her. Without a word he mounted his broom and helped Adrianna on behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and placed her hands on his chest. He kicked off from the platform, and soon they were soaring through the air in the light of the full moon. Oliver felt like they were in their own world where nothing else existed, flying around the countryside of Scotland. The sensation of her breath on his neck and the warmth of her body so close to his mesmerized him. She was all that mattered.  
  
Eventually they made their way back to Hogwarts and landed on the platform by the astronomy tower. They walked back down the spiral stairs and through the corridors in comfortable silence. It seemed that neither of them wanted to disturb the moment. They were back in Adrianna's rooms all too soon. Still without a word, Oliver leaned in and kissed Adrianna softly, then returned to his own rooms and fell asleep with visions of Adrianna dancing in his head. 


	16. Secrets

By the next Friday, everyone at Hogwarts was exhausted. Oliver sat in his office grading the midterms that he had given his students on Monday and Tuesday. It was no surprise to him that Katelyn Branch had earned the highest score of any of his students, followed closely by Juan Castillo. Oliver had noticed that Juan no longer carried around his quick-quotes quill or any of the other things that he had used for translations. His English lessons with Adrianna must have paid off.  
  
Speaking of Adrianna, Oliver had barely seen her all week. If she wasn't in class, she was grading stacks of Muggle Studies midterms. Well, at least he would see her on Christmas when he took her to the Yule Ball if all else failed. Oliver was really looking forward to the Yule Ball now. He had taken a couple of ballroom dancing lessons from Prof. Dumbledore and felt much more comfortable about the idea of dancing in front of people.  
  
The Ball was only five days away, but Oliver knew he couldn't wait that long to spend time with Adrianna. He finished grading his midterms and then decided to go over to her rooms. She would probably be mad at him for interrupting her, but that was a chance that he was willing to take. He said the password, the bookshelf swung open, and he walked in to find Adrianna sitting on the couch still surrounded by stacks of parchment.  
  
"Hey honey," she said wearily. She looked like she was about to pass out from exhaustion. She shifted a pile of papers so that she could stand up. "You'll never guess what I found," she said with a twinkle in her tired eyes. She led him to the kitchen area and pointed at a small crack in the stone wall. "At first I thought it was just because the castle is old, but I decided to check it out anyhow." She touched each of the stones that the crack ran through and stood back. A section of the wall big enough for a grown person to walk though slipped below the floor. Oliver followed Adrianna through the hole in the wall into a dark narrow passageway. Adrianna pulled out her wand.  
  
"Lumos," she muttered. The light from the tip of her wand lit the passageway, revealing some steep narrow steps that descended into more darkness.  
  
"I'll bet Fred and George never found out about this secret passage," Oliver thought as he peered down the steps. "Where does this go?" he asked aloud.  
  
"I don't know. I haven't had time to explore it yet," she replied. She slowly descended the stairs with Oliver close behind her. The passageway narrowed more, and the ceiling was so low that they had to duck to avoid hitting their heads. Their footsteps echoed through the stone tunnel as they walked. Finally, the tunnel widened but it seemed as though they had reached a dead end. They were surrounded by a solid, circular stone wall.  
  
Oliver began to tap on random stones in the wall. "There's got to be a way out of here," he said.  
  
Adrianna got down on her hands and knees and began feeling around for a trap door or any other opening that might be on the floor. They both worked for quite a while by the light of her wand. Finally, she slumped back against the wall. "It's no use," she said with frustration. "It's just a..."  
  
But she never finished her sentence. Instead, she stood up carefully so that she wouldn't hit her head on the low ceiling and began to push against a section of the ceiling. "This is the way out. Help me," she said to Oliver.  
  
Oliver pushed as hard as he could, and though the door budged it wouldn't open. "Maybe there's something blocking it," he suggested. He held Adrianna's lit wand up to the crack between the trap door and whatever was obstructing it. "Wait a minute, that's the same color as the rug in my living room! This passageway must end in my rooms. But we won't be able to open the trap door until I move the rug."  
  
"Well, at least now we know where it goes," said Adrianna. They made their way back through the tunnel, up the stairs and into Adrianna's rooms.  
  
Oliver and Adrianna laughed at each other as they emerged from the dark passage into her well-lit rooms. They were both covered from head to toe in dust. Oliver brushed a cobweb off of Adrianna's robes and took her by the hand. "Let's go and move the rug so we can open the trap door," he said.  
  
But Adrianna pulled her hand away and pointed to the stacks of midterm exams that still needed to be graded. "We have to have to hand in our grades to McGonagall by midnight, and I'm nowhere near being done with mine."  
  
He glanced at the clock. It was already 10 pm. He then looked over at the piles of ungraded exams. "You'll never finish in time. Let me help you."  
  
She gave him a very grateful look and hugged him, then pulled him over to the couch and handed him a piece of parchment. "This is the answer key," she explained. Then she handed him a stack of exams.  
  
They sat next to each other grading Adrianna's exams. Oliver read some of the questions as he graded, and realized that he knew absolutely nothing about muggles. He also realized that this could be a bad thing, considering that Adrianna was muggle-born. If he ever met her family... he shuddered at the thought. Finally, the exams were finished. Adrianna finished recording the last score on her grade sheet at the stroke of midnight, when there was a knock at the bookshelf.  
  
"Who's there?" she called.  
  
"Minerva."  
  
Adrianna pointed her wand at the bookshelf and it swung open. Professor McGonagall bustled into the rooms.  
  
"I have not received your grades yet, Adrianna. You know that we release midterm grades to the students tomorrow. Oliver, I'm glad to see you here. It saves me a trip to your rooms to collect your grades, which I also have not received."  
  
"I just finished grading my exams," said Adrianna, handing the list to Minerva.  
  
"Mine are in my office," Oliver explained. "I'll go get them."  
  
"Don't bother," Professor McGonagall replied. "Accio grade sheet!" she shouted, and within moments Oliver's grade sheet had been summoned to her and was in her hand.  
  
She looked back at Adrianna and Oliver, and now that she had what she had come for she seemed to notice their appearance. "What happened to you two? You look as though you've been through a war zone."  
  
Oliver glanced at Adrianna nervously.  
  
"We were doing a bit of light housework earlier," Adrianna offered lamely.  
  
"I see. Well, enjoy the rest of your evening," said Professor McGonagall, and she left with the grade sheets in her hand. Oliver groaned internally. He could tell that she didn't buy it for a minute.  
  
"Can we check out the trap door tomorrow? I am so tired I can barely stay awake," Adrianna said when Minerva was out of earshot.  
  
"Of course," he replied. As much as Oliver's curiosity was killing him, he wasn't about to make her stay up even later. He kissed her goodnight and was about to leave, but as she walked toward the bedroom she lost her balance and stumbled. She was so tired that she literally couldn't stand up anymore. He rushed over to her, picked her up and carried her into her bedroom. He deposited her in her unmade bed and tucked the covers in around her. He smoothed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her gently before returning to his own rooms and getting ready for bed.  
  
The next day brought two important events: the release of midterm grades and a trip to Hogsmeade for students in the third year and above. Oliver heard moans of agony and sighs of relief as grades were distributed at breakfast. He looked around the Great Hall at the students' reactions. Katelyn Branch was grinning from ear to ear, showing her piece of parchment to all of her friends. Isabelle King and Morgan Heard both looked furious, and Oliver guessed that is had something to do with Muggle Studies if their exams had been any indication of their overall grade. Sofie, Lauren, Malcolm and Natalie all looked content with their grades.  
  
Adrianna turned to Oliver while they were eating breakfast. "Do you want to go into Hogsmeade today? I really need to go shopping. I haven't bought any Christmas presents yet."  
  
Oliver suddenly realized that he hadn't bought gifts for anyone yet either. "That sounds great," he replied.  
  
So after breakfast, they set out for Hogsmeade with the students. As they were walking, Oliver felt a poke in the middle of his back. He turned around to find Fleur Delacour and Eva Hathor, the Study of Ancient Runes teacher.  
  
"Long time no see, stranger," said Fleur.  
  
"Hi Fleur, how've you been?"  
  
"Good. I 'aven't seen much of you or Adrianna lately though."  
  
"Well, this is a busy time of year," Oliver replied.  
  
"How about if we all spend the day together?" suggested Fleur. "Then we'll have time to catch up on the last couple of weeks."  
  
"Sure," Oliver said.  
  
The first place the group visited was Dervish and Banges, which had an assortment of equipment for wizards and witches. Oliver bought gifts for his mum and dad there. Then they went to Zonko's, but when they saw the line of students they left as quickly as they had come. They ended up at the Three Broomsticks, which was packed with students as well. They didn't let this deter them though as they found a seat at a booth along the wall. They ordered drinks and chatted for a while about how the last couple of weeks had gone. Oliver found Eva to be a rather interesting person. He had never made an effort to get to know her before. After a while they realized that most of the students had left and that it as getting late, so they headed back to the castle. Oliver and Adrianna parted with Eva and Fleur on the stairs and went to Oliver's rooms.  
  
"Want to check out that trap door now?" asked Adrianna.  
  
"Definitely."  
  
Adrianna levitated the furniture with her wand while Oliver rolled back the rug. The floor underneath looked solid. Oliver felt around the floor for a few minutes but found nothing.  
  
"I was almost certain that door was in here," he said with a hint of confusion in his voice.  
  
"The only thing I see is this piece of string," said Adrianna, picking up what looked like a scrap of thread from the bottom of his rug. But when she picked it up, it grew longer and revealed a square in the floor that had previously been invisible. A handle magically materialized in the revealed trap door.  
  
"You're brilliant," said Oliver, giving her and excited kiss.  
  
Adrianna looked at the trap door thoughtfully. "I wonder if Dumbledore knew about this passageway when he assigned us these rooms."  
  
Oliver awoke the next morning and set out for Diagon Alley after a quick breakfast. He located a store that he had heard of but had never been to before and told the sales clerk what he wished to purchase. After careful explanation, the clerk got to work on his order and told him to come back that afternoon.  
  
Rather than hanging around Diagon Alley, he decided to go back to Hogwarts for a little while. He went over to Adrianna's rooms and entered without bothering to knock. She wasn't in her living room or kitchen, so he assumed that she was still asleep. He knocked gently on the bedroom door and when she didn't answer, he pushed the door open. To his surprise, she wasn't in there either. He looked around and saw steam seeping out around the bathroom door. He realized that she was taking a bath and was about to leave when the door opened and she walked into the bedroom wearing nothing but a white terrycloth bathrobe. Her long blonde hair was dripping wet. Her jaw dropped when she saw him standing there.  
  
"Oliver what are you doing here?" she cried in surprise.  
  
"I just wanted to see if you were up yet. I was about to leave when you came out of the bathroom," he explained.  
  
"You can't just come into my bedroom uninvited! I could have been naked!"  
  
Oliver didn't see how that would have been such a bad thing. He couldn't think of anything to say to her though. Luckily she didn't give him a chance to respond.  
  
"Wait outside while I get dressed," she instructed. "I have to talk to you about something. And if I catch you peeking through the keyhole you're in serious trouble!"  
  
Oliver obediently waited outside until she emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later, fully clothed.  
  
"Honey, I told my parents that we're dating and they want to meet you."  
  
"What? But we've only been dating for a couple of weeks."  
  
"I know, but I think that it would be nice for you to meet each other. I was thinking we could spend New Year's Day with them and have dinner there."  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, they're muggles, and I'm a wizard, and not that there's anything wrong with that, but I don't know the first thing about muggles."  
  
"I'm sure everything will be fine, and besides, I told my mom that you're a wizard."  
  
"What if they don't like me?"  
  
"Are you kidding? They'll love you! How could they not?"  
  
But Oliver wasn't so sure. He talked to Adrianna for a little while longer, and then made up an excuse about having to go talk to Dumbledore about something. But what he really had to do was return to Diagon Alley to pick up what he had ordered that morning. He entered the shop and after giving the clerk a large handful of galleons, the clerk presented him with a small box. Oliver opened it and examined the contents carefully.  
  
"Is everything to your satisfaction, sir?" the clerk asked.  
  
"Yes it's perfect. Thank you." 


	17. A taste of muggle life

Oliver was awakened the next morning by Adrianna standing beside his bed, leaning over him and kissing him. "Why can't I wake up like this every morning?" he thought as he opened his eyes.  
  
As soon as she saw that he was awake she pulled away. "What are you doing today?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Good." She walked over to his wardrobe and began looking through his clothes. "Hmmm... no, this won't do..."  
  
"What are you doing?" Oliver asked groggily.  
  
"You invaded my bedroom. I'm invading your closet. It's only fair. Do you own any muggle clothes?"  
  
Only then did he notice that she was wearing muggle clothes: a pair of flared jeans with a glittery pattern on them and a pink turtleneck sweater. "They're in the back of the bottom drawer. What are we doing today?"  
  
Adrianna ignored his question. She located his muggle clothes and tossed them at him. "Don't go to the Great Hall for breakfast. I'll make us something in my kitchen," she said with a smile as she left.  
  
Oliver pulled on the loose-fitting faded carpenter jeans and the black turtleneck sweater that she had thrown at him. He was greeted by the aroma of breakfast as he entered her rooms, though he couldn't identify what it was that Adrianna was making from the smell. He walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder, and realized that he still didn't know what it was. It looked like a jumble of things thrown into a skillet.  
  
"What is that?" he asked.  
  
"Scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon, cheese, green peppers, and salsa. And when it's done it will be wrapped in warm tortillas."  
  
"Sounds interesting."  
  
She spooned the mixture into the tortillas and wrapped them up expertly, and then set a place for each of them at the table.  
  
"Go on, try it," she coaxed. "I want to know what you think."  
  
Oliver picked up one of the tortillas and took a small bite. To his surprise, it tasted really good. "This is delicious," he said after he swallowed.  
  
Adrianna looked very pleased. "Thanks," she said with a grin.  
  
"So what else did you have in mind today?"  
  
"Well, you said you don't know anything about muggles. So I'm going to teach you about them."  
  
"Let's start with the basics. Do you know what a telephone is?" asked Adrianna.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"A television?"  
  
"No."  
  
"A car?"  
  
"Yeah, I know what that is."  
  
"Hmmm... this is going to take a lot of work." Adrianna sat across from him at the table for a few minutes, deep in thought. Oliver just stared at her as he finished his breakfast.  
  
"I've got it," she finally said. She picked up the empty salsa jar that was sitting on the kitchen counter and transfigured it into a portkey.  
  
"We'll leave 5 minutes from now," she said. She then bewitched the dirty dishes so that they cleared themselves from the table and started washing themselves. Finally she ran into her bedroom and returned with a handful of American muggle money. She grabbed the salsa jar that Oliver was already holding, and within moments they departed.  
  
They appeared in front of a gigantic building with WALMART across the front in big blue letters. People were streaming through the glass doors that parted before them. Oliver had never seen anything like it before. Adrianna took his hand and they walked into the store together. Oliver looked around in amazement. It seemed like this store had everything a muggle could ever want. There were whole sections devoted to muggle clothes, food, cosmetics, electronics, and much more.  
  
"If you have questions don't be afraid to ask," said Adrianna.  
  
Oliver had about a million questions swimming through his head. He didn't even know where to begin. Their first stop was house wares, where Adrianna showed him some table lamps. She gave him a little lecture about electricity while he played with the lamp switches. She also showed him a microwave oven and told him that her family had one.  
  
Then they headed for the electronics department. Adrianna showed him telephones, TVs, VCRs, and DVD players and explained how each of them worked. Then she showed him a stereo and explained how muggle radio stations broadcast over a certain frequency. She compared it to the Wizards' Wireless Network, which made a little more sense to Oliver. They got a few funny looks from other shoppers who overheard their conversation.  
  
After they had toured electronics, she showed him the candy aisle. Here there were no chocolate frogs, no Bertie Botts beans. There were just plain muggle candies. Adrianna picked out a bag of gummi bears for them, and then they went to the checkout where she got them each a bottle of soda. She paid with some of the muggle money that she had brought with her. Oliver thought about asking her about how much her purchase would equal in wizard money but decided against it. His head was already spinning from an information overload. Adrianna pulled out her wand out of her pocket as they left and murmured something.  
  
"Hold onto the bag of gummi bears. We're leaving in 20 seconds. Walk casually towards the parking lot like you're going to find your car, and hopefully people won't notice that we just disappear."  
  
Oliver followed her instructions, and soon they left the Wal-Mart parking lot only to arrive in another parking lot full of cars. "Where are we? I thought we were going back to Hogwarts."  
  
"We're at the movie theater. Movies are one of the most popular forms of muggle entertainment, so I thought it would be fun to bring you to one."  
  
They walked into the box office together. "Two for Catch Me if You Can," she said to the person behind the window, handing him some muggle money. She received two tickets and handed one to Oliver. Then she took his hand and they walked into the theater. Adrianna bought a small bag of popcorn, and then they found their theater and sat in the very back row. Oliver took a handful of buttery popcorn before offering it to Adrianna.  
  
"Oh, no thanks," she said when she saw him offering it to her. "I bought it for you."  
  
"Well, I'm willing to share."  
  
"That's alright. I don't like popcorn. Thanks though."  
  
"You didn't have to get this just for me."  
  
"Sure I did. You can't have the full experience of a muggle movie without popcorn and soda."  
  
They chatted during the previews, and then settled back in their seats when the movie began. Oliver watched the pictures dancing across the huge screen and had to admit that it was really entertaining, even if it was invented by muggles. After a while the movie ended, and Adrianna and Oliver filed out of the theater with the rest of the people.  
  
"What did you think?" asked Adrianna.  
  
"It was really interesting. I liked it," he replied honestly.  
  
"Good. Ready for your next muggle activity?" she asked, holding up her empty soda bottle.  
  
"Sure," he said, wrapping his fingers around the neck of the plastic bottle. They walked into the parking lot, and within seconds Oliver felt the all-too-familiar jerk behind his navel as they departed. This time, Oliver and Adrianna arrived in front of red, yellow and white building with large plate glass windows.  
  
"Hungry?" asked Adrianna.  
  
"A little. Where are we?"  
  
"McDonald's. Have you ever had fast food before?"  
  
"No, what is it?" "Fast food has become a staple of muggle life. They eat it when they don't have time to eat a proper meal, like when they're on lunch break at work or when they're busy in the evenings," she explained as they walked into the restaurant.  
  
Oliver was surprised to see that nearly the entire menu was in pictures above the front counter.  
  
"Just pick whatever you want," said Adrianna. Oliver had no idea what to order.  
  
"Get me the same thing you get."  
  
Adrianna got a cheeseburger, fries and a soda for each of them. Their order was ready in less than a minute, and they chose a table by one of the plate glass windows and ate their dinner. Oliver wasn't overly impressed by the quality of the food that he was eating.  
  
"This is bloody awful! Why do muggles eat this stuff?"  
  
"Because it's relatively inexpensive and they're always in a hurry." She picked up her half-empty box of fries and turned it into a portkey. "Are you up for one more activity before calling it a day?"  
  
"Does it involve fast food?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Alright then, sure."  
  
Within moments they were whisked away from the McDonalds and were standing in front of a large building. A sign out front read "Center Ice." They went inside, where Adrianna paid for ice time and skate rental for both of them. The indoor rink was already crowded with people. Oliver looked around uncomfortably. Adrianna noticed that he didn't look altogether happy.  
  
"What's the matter?" she asked.  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, you know what happened the last time we were on ice. You nearly died. What if this ice isn't frozen the whole way through?"  
  
"Sweetheart I appreciate your concern, but this isn't the same. This is a surface that stays frozen year round, and there's a solid floor underneath it. It's not a lake or a pond or anything like that. It's perfectly safe."  
  
They walked up to the skate rental counter. "What size?" asked the girl behind the counter.  
  
"Nine for me, figure skates," said Adrianna. She turned to Oliver. "What size shoe do you wear?"  
  
"Ten and a half."  
  
"Give him an eleven, hockey skates," Adrianna said to the girl.  
  
"Why the difference in size?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Because shoe sizes run differently in the US than they do in the UK."  
  
They handed the girl their shoes and put on their ice skates. Adrianna explained that they had to be laced up very tightly, and took his wand from him when he tried to lace them up using magic. They stepped onto the ice, and Oliver gripped the wall tightly.  
  
"Are you sure this is safe?"  
  
"Well I won't guarantee that you're not going to fall, because you probably will and so will I. But yes, it's relatively safe. Though I did break my arm once while I was ice skating..."  
  
"Oh thanks, that's just what I wanted to hear!" Oliver said sarcastically.  
  
"Calm down, you'll be fine. Let go of the wall and take my hands."  
  
Oliver put his hands in hers.  
  
"Good, now just try to go forward."  
  
Oliver moved his feet and to his surprise, he was able to slowly propel himself forward. Adrianna skated slowly backwards as he moved forward and held his hands to support him.  
  
"You're doing fine," she said encouragingly. They made it a quarter of the way around the rink before Oliver lost his balance and fell on his butt, pulling Adrianna down on top of him in the process.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked her.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. You broke my fall. Are you alright?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
They both laughed as Adrianna got to her feet and helped Oliver up. This time they made it the rest of the way around the rink, and though Oliver stumbled a few times he managed to stay on his feet.  
  
"Alright, now I'm going to just hold your left hand and I'm going to skate forwards this time. You're doing fine. Bend a little more at the knees, and try not to use your toe picks," said Adrianna.  
  
By the end of two hours on the ice, Oliver's body ached from the number of times that he had fallen. But he was able to skate forward without assistance and had been able to pick up the pace considerable. He and Adrianna returned their skates and put their shoes back on. Before they left, she walked up to the counter where she'd paid when they first came in.  
  
"Excuse me, sir. Do you have a lost and found? I think I lost a glove."  
  
"Certainly miss, it's right around the corner."  
  
"We didn't bring any gloves," said Oliver as they walked away.  
  
"I know that," she replied. She pulled an old glove out of the lost and found bin and transfigured it into a portkey.  
  
"Did you have fun today?" she asked him.  
  
"Yes, it was a blast! Well, except for the whole McDonalds thing." "Ready to go back to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Yeah I guess so," he said, reaching out for the glove. He felt the sudden familiar jerk behind his navel as they departed. 


	18. Yuletide greetings

The day after next, Oliver awoke rather early and realized that it was Christmas morning. He located the small box that he had picked up in Diagon Alley, which was now wrapped in Christmas paper and a ribbon, and walked down the hall to Adrianna's rooms in his pajamas. Chip was fast asleep in front of the fire. He pushed the bedroom door open a crack and peeked in. The translucent white curtains were still drawn around her four poster bed, so he assumed that she was still fast asleep. He walked over to the bed and slowly pulled back the curtains. She looked so angelic while she slept that Oliver almost felt bad waking her up. He sat down on the edge of the bed and kissed her softly on the lips, then moved down her cheek to her neck. She moaned quietly as her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Adrianna," he said gently.  
  
"Mmmm, Merry Christmas," she replied.  
  
"I got you something," he said, handing her the box as she sat up in bed. She untied the ribbon and tore the paper off, then opened up the little box. She gasped when she opened it up.  
  
"Oliver, this is amazing! You really shouldn't have."  
  
He watched with a smile as she removed a golden heart pendant on a gold chain from the box. The pendant was set with alternating aquamarine and peridot stones.  
  
"It's our birthstones," she said softly, examining it closer.  
  
"Yes. That's no ordinary necklace," Oliver said. "I bought it from a magic jeweler. The stones have power in them that will be of use to the owner. The aquamarines give you peace and boost your courage. The peridots protect you from curses and hexes, allow peaceful sleep, and guard you from illness."  
  
Adrianna stared at the necklace in the palm of her hand for a minute. "It's a stunning combination. Can you help me put it on?"  
  
"Certainly." Oliver carefully fastened the necklace around her neck.  
  
"I got you something too," said Adrianna, climbing out of bed. She pulled a small wrapped box out of one of the drawers in her wardrobe and handed it to him. He tore off the paper and opened the box. Inside were two small, rectangular pieces of paper.  
  
"Tickets to see Mirror, Mirror on the Wall in concert, third row! They're my favorite band! But I don't think I ever told you. How'd you know?"  
  
"Lucky guess. I was hoping you'd like them."  
  
"I do. Thank you so much, you're brilliant!" he exclaimed, giving her a bear hug and a passionate kiss.  
  
Oliver and Adrianna were cuddling on the couch later that day when they heard a scratching sound against the window. Oliver looked up and saw Lightning and Sunrise hovering outside, loaded down with packages.  
  
"Ooo, more presents!" exclaimed Adrianna as she got up from the couch and rushed over to the window. Both owls fluttered inside and crash landed on the floor. Both Oliver and Adrianna untied their packages from their owls. Adrianna handed him a small package from the pile that Sunrise had delivered.  
  
"My mom sent you something," she said. They carried their presents over to the coffee table and sat on the floor to open them. Oliver got a set of robes, a new broomstick servicing kit and something that he had never seen before called a pensieve from his parents. There was also a card that said:  
  
Dear Oliver,  
  
Happy Christmas! We hope that everything is going well for you at Hogwarts. We bought you this pensieve just in case your thoughts get to be too much for you. All you have to do is put your thoughts in, and the pensieve will help you organize them so that they make more sense. It would be nice to get a letter from you once in a while, eh? We'd like to know how you're doing.  
  
Love, Mum and Dad  
  
Next Oliver opened the package from Adrianna's mom. It was a bright red, handmade scarf. "Wow, this is really nice! Tell your mum I said thanks," Oliver said to Adrianna. "What did you get?"  
  
Adrianna held up some CDs, a box full of muggle hair care and beauty supplies, and a small jar filled with muggle candy.  
  
"Happy Christmas!" boomed a loud voice above them. Adrianna shrieked and they both looked up.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Sir Nicholas! You startled us," said Adrianna.  
  
"Still in you pajamas, eh? Well get dressed then, quickly now. The teachers and the ghosts are going Christmas caroling to each house's common room together in a few minutes. We're meeting in the staff room."  
  
After they were dressed, Adrianna and Oliver ran down to the staff room and spent the afternoon singing Christmas carols with the ghosts and the other professors. Before they knew it, it was time to go back to their rooms to get ready for the Yule Ball. Oliver spent about an hour getting ready for the Yule Ball. He took a bubble bath in his jacuzzi tub, shaved, and dressed in the bright red dress robes that had been hanging in his closet ever since he'd arrived at Hogwarts. Before he left for Adrianna's rooms, he conjured up a dozen red roses and gathered them into a bunch for her.  
  
He knocked on her door, and his breath caught in his chest when he saw her. He had never seen her look so beautiful. Half of her golden blonde hair was curled and arranged on top of her head, and there were tiny braids interwoven through the curls. The rest was hanging down and curled on the ends. She was wearing just the right amount of makeup to enhance her natural beauty. Her dress robes were the same shade of red as his. Hers had elaborate gold embroidery on the hem of the skirt and sleeves. The sleeves flared from the elbows down, and the skirt had tiny gold embroidered dots all over it. She was also wearing a light cloak of exactly the same shade of red that had the same elegant embroidery on the hem and gold dots all over it. He looked down for a moment to collect his thoughts and noticed that she was wearing gold satin slippers. "You look amazing," he finally said.  
  
"Thanks, so do you," she replied.  
  
Oliver suddenly remembered that he was holding the bouquet of roses when one of the thorns pricked his wrist. "Oh, these are for you," he said, handing them to her.  
  
"You're so sweet! Thank you," she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She used her wand to get a vase from the top shelf of her kitchen cupboard and filled it with water, then put the roses in the water.  
  
"Ready to go?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, whenever you are." He offered her his arm, and after she had taken it they walked down the stairs and stood with the other teachers outside the great hall to welcome the students.  
  
Oliver looked at the other teachers while they waited for the students to arrive. Snape was wearing black robes, as usual. Fleur Delacour wore robes of flowing silver-gray satin that complimented her features beautifully. Eva Hathor wore sand-colored robes that looked very nice with her dark brown hair.  
  
Oliver watched as the students gathered outside the Great Hall and walked through the doors in groups. He saw Isabelle King and Morgan Heard walking in with Crabbe and Goyle, respectively. After that he saw Lauren Sage, the quidditch captain of Hufflepuff, walk in on the arm of Malcolm Baddock, the Slytherin captain. A few minutes later came Natalie MacDonald and Dennis Creevey, followed closely by Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevey. Colin had his trusty camera in one hand, and Oliver was sure that by the end of the night Colin would have enough pictures to fill an entire album. Sofie Grant was one of the last people to arrive with Stuart Ackerley, another member of Ravenclaw's quidditch team.  
  
After the students had all entered the hall, the teachers walked in as a group. They seated themselves at the smaller, candlelit tables that had replaced the usual long house tables. At Oliver's table were Adrianna, Fleur, Eva, Elizabeth Vector, and, to his great annoyance, Sibyl Trelawney. There was a menu at each place setting for them to order from, however, there were no waiters in sight. Oliver had no idea what he was supposed to do. Fleur picked up her menu and looked at it for a few moments, then put down the menu and looked at her plate. "Pork chops," she said clearly to her plate, and a delicious meal materialized in front of her. Oliver and the others at his table followed her example, and soon they were all enjoying their meals.  
  
After everyone in the great hall had finished eating, Professor Dumbledore stood up and asked everyone else to stand as well. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore cleared all the tables off to one end of the Great hall and raised a platform at the other end. Several musical instruments materialized on the platform.  
  
"And now, it is my pleasure to announce tonight's musical guests: the Weird Sisters!"  
  
The hall erupted in shouts and cheers as the Weird Sisters took the stage. They started the evening off with a slow song, and several couples moved onto the dance floor. Oliver turned to Adrianna.  
  
"Care to dance?" he asked, offering her his hand.  
  
"Of course," she replied.  
  
Oliver led her onto the dance floor and steered them slowly around the room, weaving in and out of the students.  
  
"I must say, that necklace looks absolutely stunning with your dress robes," he whispered, glancing down at the heart necklace that he had given her earlier that day.  
  
"You just like having an excuse to look at my chest," she said with a chuckle.  
  
"That too," he replied with a coy smile.  
  
The next song was much a much faster one. Oliver danced in a group with Adrianna and some of the other younger teachers. They danced for the next four or five songs, until Adrianna stopped dancing and walked over to him.  
  
"Do you want to get something to drink? I'm really thirsty,"  
  
she said. They left the dance floor and got a couple of butterbeers, then sat down at one of the tables at the far end of the Great Hall. They drank their butterbeer and chatted. When they were done Adrianna wanted to go back to the dance floor, but instead Oliver led her outside and down a path lit with live fairies. He noticed that there were students making out behind the rosebushes that lined the paths and pointed this out to Adrianna was they walked. They stopped in front of a tall, gurgling water fountain and sat on a nearby bench. They talked in soft voices for a little while, and then Oliver leaned in and kissed her. They made out on the bench until they were numb from the cold before returning to the Great Hall and hitting the dance floor once again.  
  
Midnight arrived and the Weird Sisters left the stage entirely too soon for Oliver's liking. The students began to file slowly out of the Great Hall, followed by the teachers. Oliver escorted Adrianna back to her rooms. He went back to his own rooms and changed into his pajamas before returning to Adrianna's rooms. She had also changed into her pajamas. They sat on the couch and talked until she began to fall asleep on his shoulder. He kissed her softly on the lips, and the picked her up and carried her to her bed.  
  
"Goodnight Adrianna," he whispered as he tucked the covers in around her. He turned to go, but felt her fingers tighten around his.  
  
"Don't go," she said groggily, trying to pull him toward her even though she was half-asleep. Oliver climbed into bed beside her and pulled the covers up over himself. Adrianna curled up tight against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. He fell asleep to the rhythm of her heart beating against his chest and her deep, even breath on his neck 


	19. So much drama

Oliver sat alone in his rooms a few days later waiting for Adrianna to return from a meeting with Professor McGonagall. While he waited, he reflected on the days that had passed since Christmas. They had been amazing. He had spent almost all of his time with Adrianna and though they didn't have sex, they slept in the same bed every night. She had made it very clear to him that she wouldn't have sex until she was married, but Oliver didn't care. It was enough for him just to fall asleep holding her in his arms. Oliver was brought back to reality with a loud knock on his door.  
  
"That's strange, Adrianna doesn't usually knock," he thought as he got up off of the couch and opened the door. But it wasn't Adrianna. It was Alicia Spinnet.  
  
"Hello Oliver!" she cried, throwing her arms around him in an excited hug.  
  
"Alicia! It's great to see you again. What are you doing here?" he asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. "Well, I just got back from a Daily Prophet special assignment in Albania and I thought that it would be nice to stop in and see an old friend," she explained. "Well, are you going to invite me in or are we just going to stand here in the doorway all day?" she teased.  
  
"Oh, please come in." He moved out of the doorway and motioned to the couch. Oliver sat at one end of the sofa, and Alicia sat right in the middle.  
  
"Oliver, there's something that I want to tell you so I might as well just say it. I love you. I have ever since we were students here. I knew that you weren't ready for a relationship then, you were in love with quidditch. So I never said anything and after we graduated I thought I was over you. But then when I saw you again this summer, I knew that I wasn't over you. I know I told you that I like being single because of my job, but if I had you to come home to then it would be something to look forward to. And I think you've changed too, I mean, you asked to be put on the Scottish reserve team instead of starting for them and you took a job here. Maybe you would have time for a girlfriend too."  
  
Oliver just sat there in disbelief while Alicia rambled on about her undying love for him. He had no idea what to do. She didn't know that he was seriously dating Adrianna, and even though he didn't care about her romantically she was his friend and he didn't want to hurt her.  
  
"Alicia, I...." he began, but his sentence was cut short when she leaned in and kissed him hard on the lips. He was so shocked that he couldn't move. He finally realized what was happening and moved to push her away when he heard an icy voice behind him.  
  
"You unimaginable bastard." Oliver pushed Alicia away a little harder than was necessary and stood up to find Adrianna glaring at him with lines of fury etched across her face.  
  
"Adrianna, I can explain!" he said with what he hoped was a pleading look on his face.  
  
"Your actions speak loudly enough for themselves. I can't believe that you're getting action on the side! I thought that you were different from every other guy I've ever met. I thought that you loved me. God, I even let you sleep in my bed! But obviously I was wrong about you."  
  
While she said all of this, she reached behind her neck and undid the clasp that held the necklace around her neck that Oliver had given her a few short days ago. She now clenched the necklace in her fist.  
  
"No, you've got it all wrong! Please just listen to me," he begged.  
  
"I have been intoxicated with your lies for far too long. For the first time in a long time, I am finally seeing clearly again." She opened her fist and held the necklace out to him on her palm.  
  
"Take it back. I don't want it."  
  
"No, I won't. It's yours," he replied.  
  
"I said take it back, dammit!" She threw the necklace at him. It hit him right between the eyes and made a small cut. A couple of drops of blood trickled down the side of his nose.  
  
"We're through, Oliver. Goodbye." And with that, Adrianna stormed out of his rooms. Oliver sank into the nearest armchair and put a hand on his face to wipe the blood away. He felt hollow, like he had just lost everything that mattered to him. He looked over at Alicia, who was staring back at him with a look of disbelief at the scene that had just taken place. He felt very awkward around her now that he knew how she felt about him.  
  
"Oliver I'm so sorry. I didn't know that you had a girlfriend. You were never interested in girls before.... I just assumed that you were still single."  
  
"I tried to tell you right before you kissed me. If you had only listened, this would have never happened!" Oliver exclaimed with frustration and anger.  
  
Alicia looked away. "She has good aim."  
  
"She was a chaser for the American team," he replied shortly.  
  
"Let me talk to her," said Alicia. "I can explain to her what happened. Perhaps she would listen to me."  
  
"She won't. Look Alicia, maybe you ought to go before you cause any more damage."  
  
Alicia looked very hurt by this statement. She got up slowly from the couch.  
  
"I'm really sorry," she said again as she walked out the door and closed it behind her.  
  
Oliver sighed with frustration. "How could this have happened?" he asked himself. In just a few short minutes he had lost the one person that mattered most to him. Oliver felt awful about what happened. He gave her the night to cool off and then went over to her rooms the next day. He knocked on the bookcase/door, but she wouldn't answer. It was so quiet in her rooms. He figured that she must have shut herself in her bedroom since she wasn't answering the door. He tried the password, but it wouldn't work. She must have changed it last night. Oliver went back to his rooms and decided to try the secret passage that went from his living room to her kitchen. But when he got to the other end, the wall wouldn't budge. Adrianna had somehow blocked it or sealed it so that it wouldn't open.  
  
"Darn, she thought of everything to keep me out," he thought as he walked back through the dark tunnel to his own rooms. He decided to just wait until dinner to try to talk to her, but she never showed up for dinner that night. She hadn't been at breakfast or lunch that day, either. Oliver decided to say something to Professor McGonagall. Adrianna was going to get really sick if she didn't start eating soon. He approached Professor McGonagall after dinner.  
  
"Do you know if Adrianna's alright? She isn't answering her door and she hasn't been at any meals today."  
  
"Well naturally she wouldn't be. She went home for the remainder of Christmas break. She told me this morning as she was leaving. I'm surprised she didn't say something to you."  
  
"No, she didn't mention it to me," replied Oliver.  
  
Adrianna's absence came as a surprise to him. "Great," he thought, "now I won't even be able to talk to her until after the New Year."  
  
A few days later, it was already New Year's Eve. Oliver was just planning to go down to the Three Broomsticks to ring in the New Year with several glasses of red currant rum, but a knock at his door changed those plans as a set of red-headed twins burst into the room. They were wearing muggle clothes.  
  
"Oliver, it's New Year's Eve! What are you doing sitting here all alone!?" exclaimed Fred.  
  
"We heard what happened with you and your girlfriend. You're better off without her anyhow. Best just to forget about her," George said matter-of- factly.  
  
Fred gave George a nasty look. "Have some sympathy George. His girl just left him."  
  
"Can we please talk about something else?" asked Oliver. "Wait... how did you find out about that anyhow?"  
  
"Well, Angelina is best friends with Alicia, so naturally Alicia told her what happened, and then Angelina told Fred, and Fred told me," explained George.  
  
"Great, I wonder how many other people know," thought Oliver.  
  
"Go change into some muggle clothes. We're going to celebrate the New Year out on the town," said Fred.  
  
Oliver went into his bedroom and changed into his faded loose jeans and a polo shirt, then returned to the living room where Fred and George were waiting. George pulled a map out of his pocket. Both the muggle and wizarding streets were marked on it.  
  
"This is London," explained George. "We're all going to apparate. Now here's Diagon Alley as a point of reference. If you get lost just to go our joke shop and we'll meet up with you. And this," he said, pointing to another spot on the map, "is where we're going. It's a muggle night club called The Borderline."  
  
George handed the map to Oliver, and all three of them disapparated from Oliver's rooms. Oliver, Fred and George arrived at The Borderline and went inside after Fred paid their cover charge with a few British muggle bills. The DJ that night was playing a mix of techno, hip-hop and rap. George got them each a beer and they stood in a small group near the bar while they drank.  
  
"So what are you guys planning to do tonight?" asked Oliver. "After all, you're both already taken. And Fred, you're going to be a married man in a few months."  
  
"Yea, but I'm not married yet," Fred replied with a wink.  
  
"Besides, the ladies here are beautiful! And what our girls don't know won't hurt them," added George.  
  
"Anyway, you're single now Oliver. What are you so worried about? Just have fun and dance with some of the girls here."  
  
"I don't want to dance with just any girl. I want Adrianna back," he replied.  
  
"You'll change your mind after you've had some more to drink," said Fred. "Want to throw back a few shots?" he asked George.  
  
"Sure, if you're paying."  
  
Fred laughed and signaled for the bartender. A few minutes later there was a shot of vodka in front of all three of them. Fred picked his up. "Cheers," he said as they all threw back their shots.  
  
"Let's have another," said George.  
  
"No thanks, I'm good," Oliver replied.  
  
"Oh, come on, it'll loosen you up," coaxed Fred.  
  
"I want to be able to remember ringing in the New Year, thanks," replied Oliver.  
  
He sat at the bar and watched as his friends threw back 2 more shots apiece before finally deciding to hit the dance floor. They made their way around the dance floor until they found a beautiful group of girls to dance with. Oliver was only mildly surprised when Fred and George began grinding with the girls that they had chosen to dance with. He was fairly certain that Angelina and Steph wouldn't approve if they had been there, but like George had said, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Just before midnight, the DJ stopped the dance music so that they could count down the seconds to the New Year and celebrate with a champagne toast to the sound of Auld Lang Syne.  
  
After a few minutes the dance music started again, and Oliver, Fred and George moved to and area closer to the bar and began dancing with some different girls. Oliver had his back to the bar and was talking to the girl that he was dancing with when he noticed Fred and George staring intently at something behind him. He heard guys whistling all around the room and saw them pointing at the bar.  
  
"Oliver turn around, you got to see this! Work it baby!" yelled George.  
  
Oliver turned around and saw a girl up on the bar with her back to him, dancing to Sean Paul's "Get Busy". The girl had long blonde hair and was holding a bottle of Smirnoff Ice in one hand. She was an amazing dancer. Her friends were standing around her on the floor trying to convince her to get down, but she had obviously had too much to drink and was ignoring them. Guys began to move closer to the area of the bar where the girl was dancing, pushing her friends out of the way. Oliver looked at the girl's friends for a moment. For some reason, they looked familiar. Oliver suddenly realized that they were Flynnie, Sonia and Kilch from the party that he had thrown for Adrianna. He broke into a cold sweat and sincerely hoped that the girl on the bar wasn't who he thought she was, but his fears were confirmed a moment later when the girl turned in his direction.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute. Oliver, isn't that your girlfriend?" asked Fred.  
  
But Oliver didn't answer Fred. He began to push his way through the crowd. The men were now packed so tightly around the bar that Oliver had to fight to make his way through. Just as he finally made it to the bar, Adrianna put a hand to her forehead and sank to her knees.  
  
"Adrianna are you all right?" he shouted over the music and the noise from the crowd.  
  
Adrianna looked at him and her eyes flashed dangerously. "What are you doing here, stalking me? Get away from me you jerk!"  
  
"Come on Adrianna, get off of the bar. You're in no condition to be dancing up there."  
  
"I'm not drunk!" she protested as he lifted her off of the bar.  
  
He helped her make her way back through the crowd, which was starting to disperse now that she was no longer dancing on the bar. He found a less crowded area of the room and was suddenly surrounded by Fred, George, Sonia, Flynnie and Kilch. A bouncer was hurriedly making his way over to the group.  
  
"I'm going to have to ask you lot to leave now. We don't allow that kind of behavior in our club," the bouncer said sternly. Oliver and Flynnie supported Adrianna so that she wouldn't fall over as the bouncer escorted the group to the door. They stepped out into the cold January night air.  
  
"What are you all doing here anyway?" Oliver asked Flynnie. "Last time I checked, Adrianna had gone home for the remainder of break."  
  
"She was home for the last couple of days, but we wanted to take her somewhere fun and out of the ordinary for New Year's Eve. We found this club on the internet and decided to check it out," Flynnie replied.  
  
"What's the internet?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Never mind. How did you end up here?" she replied.  
  
"We brought him," said Fred.  
  
"Yea, we wanted him to get drunk and forget about the fact that Adrianna left him but we ended up drinking more than he did," added George.  
  
"Well she wouldn't have broken up with him if he hadn't cheated on her," Sonia said defensively.  
  
"He wasn't cheating on her! Alicia confessed her love for him and then just happened to kiss him at the same time that Adrianna walked in. Alicia didn't know that he was dating anyone," Fred replied, raising his voice.  
  
"Doesn't seem like he made much of an effort to stop her though," retorted Kilch.  
  
"I was in shock. Here was this girl that I've been friends with since I was twelve years old telling me that she's in love with me! I didn't know how to react," Oliver explained.  
  
"Oh right, a likely story. If I'd walked in two minutes later you two probably would have been partaking in sexual intercourse!" Adrianna said angrily.  
  
"Leave it up to you to use big words when you're smashed. You probably won't even remember this conversation in the morning," Oliver replied.  
  
"Can we please shut up and walk? It's a little bit cold to just stand here all night," said Sonia.  
  
"Why bother? We don't have anywhere to go anyhow. I thought we would just take a portkey back to my place, but Adrianna can't travel like this," Flynnie replied.  
  
"Why don't you come back to our place?" offered Fred. "It's kind of small, but it's not too far from here and it beats standing in the cold."  
  
The girls grudgingly agreed. George hailed a taxi for them, and they rode to the Leaky Cauldron which would enable them to enter Diagon Alley. They walked down Diagon Alley until they reached Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Fred and George led the group through the joke shop and up a flight of stairs in the back of the store that led to the second story, which Fred and George had converted into a two bedroom apartment.  
  
"You girls can sleep in my room," said Fred. "Oliver and I are gonna camp in George's room for the night. There's a couple of extra blankets in the closet."  
  
"Thank you," said Flynnie as the girls entered Fred's room and shut the door behind them.  
  
Oliver wasn't ready to go to bed yet and neither were Fred or George, so they stayed up and played a few games of exploding snap before deciding to turn in for the night. Oliver and Fred slept on the floor and George slept in his bed.  
  
"Some night that was, eh?" asked George after they had blown out the lamps and were lying in the dark.  
  
"Yeah, let's just hope this year gets better and not worse," Oliver replied before falling into a restless sleep.  
  
Oliver awoke with a stiff neck the next day, and it took him a couple of seconds to remember where he was. George was still in his bed snoring softly, but Fred was nowhere to be seen. Oliver got up from the hardwood floor and opened the door that led into the small living room. To his surprise, there was a large crowd in the living room. Ron Weasley and Harry Potter had stopped by to wish Fred and George a happy New Year, and Angelina, Steph, Alicia, and Katie Bell had dropped in on their way back from partying all night long. Sonia, Flynnie and Kilch must have woken up earlier because they were all in the living room as well. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told Oliver that it was almost noon. Fred was in the kitchen making pancakes for everyone, and Oliver had to duck as Fred sent a couple of plates flying through the air to the people in the living room. Oliver sat on a pillow on the floor a few feet away from where Alicia was and listened to Angelina recounting what she, Alicia, Katie and Steph had done the night before. A few minutes later George emerged from his bedroom and walked over to Steph and gave her a peck on the lips. Not long after that, the door to Fred's room opened and the living room fell quiet as Adrianna entered it. She looked from Alicia to Oliver, and then sat on the floor as far away from both of them as she could in the small, crowded room. Oliver could feel the tension in the room that came with her presence. "Did you sleep well last night Adrianna?" asked Fred, breaking the silence.  
  
"Like a rock."  
  
"How are you feeling today? Do you need a dose of hangover potion with your pancakes?"  
  
"That would be great, thanks."  
  
Fred pulled a large bottle of blue liquid down from the cabinet and poured some into a glass, then sent it zooming across the room along with a stack of pancakes.  
  
"Take the potion first, it tastes awful," Fred instructed.  
  
Oliver watched as Adrianna downed the liquid and made a face before taking a bite of the pancakes. "Oi, Fred, I didn't know you could cook," he said.  
  
"It sucks to be left in the dark, doesn't it?" Adrianna retorted sarcastically before Fred had a chance to answer.  
  
Oliver said nothing but he felt frustration rising within him. He wanted so badly for Adrianna to believe the truth of what had happened, but she didn't seem interested in even hearing it. He wanted to yell at her for being so blind and so stupid for thinking that he would ever purposely cheat on her, but he knew that he had to stay calm and rational if he ever wanted to get through to her.  
  
"Adrianna, it's not what you think it was," Alicia said softly.  
  
"I walked in on you and Oliver making out on the couch when I was his girlfriend. He cheated on me, plain and simple."  
  
"It's not that simple! Just give me a chance to tell you what happened. Please," said Alicia with a pleading look on her face.  
  
Adrianna seemed to be considering it for a moment. "Fine. But not in front of everyone."  
  
Alicia got up from her seat, walked over to Fred's room and held the door open for Adrianna. A moment later it closed behind them.  
  
It was only after the door closed and Oliver exhaled that he realized that he'd been holding his breath the whole time. He hoped that Adrianna would believe what Alicia told her. He looked around and realized the roomful of people that had just watched the scene between Alicia and Adrianna were now staring at him. Harry was the first person to speak.  
  
"Errr... Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Oliver Wood has a girlfriend? I thought you'd end up marrying your broomstick before you'd fall for a girl."  
  
"HAD a girlfriend," Oliver corrected miserably. "She's amazing, but due to an unfortunate turn of events, I've been added to her list of evil men."  
  
"An unfortunate turn of events, my butt!" exclaimed Kilch. "You could have informed Alicia that you had a girlfriend before you started making out with her."  
  
"I wasn't making out with her! She kissed me, and I was so surprised that I didn't have time to react!" Oliver yelled in frustration.  
  
"Well, I hate to break up the party but I need to be going," said Flynnie. "I promised Alex I'd spend the day with him today. Do you have any floo powder?" she asked Fred, who had just put a spell on the dishes so that they would wash themselves.  
  
Fred took a ceramic pot from a shelf above the fireplace. Flynnie grabbed a handful and threw it into the fireplace, said "Salem Witches' Institute" in a clear voice, and was gone a moment later.  
  
A few minutes after that, the door to George's bedroom opened and Adrianna stormed out.  
  
"Adrianna, wait!" cried Alicia.  
  
"He could have told you at any time that he was dating me! It didn't have to go that far but he let it happen! He cheated on me, and once a cheater, always a cheater!" A tear rolled down Adrianna's face as she ran down the stairs, through the joke shop, and into the street below.  
  
"I think we'd better be going now," said Kilch.  
  
"Thanks for giving us a place to crash for the night, and for breakfast," Sonia said to Fred as she and Kilch hurried out after Adrianna. 


	20. Repairing the damage

A couple of weeks after the students returned and classes resumed, Oliver still hadn't spoken to Adrianna. But it seemed as though her anger might be subsiding just a little bit. The day before Oliver had finally managed to make eye contact with her in the corridor, and unless he was quite mistaken she had given him a sort of half-smile.  
  
Today was a Wednesday, which meant an outdoor flying lesson with the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. The students had enough lessons that they'd mastered the basic skills of flying, and now Oliver was teaching them skills specific to quidditch. He ran the students through a series of drills, taking notes to decide whether he would put each student in a group as a chaser, a keeper, a beater or a seeker. His plan was to work with each group to help them develop in the position where they had the most natural skill. Hogwarts had a very high number of students that went on to be professional quidditch players, and Oliver wanted to make sure that that number remained just as high now that he was the flying instructor at Hogwarts.  
  
After working with the students for what seemed to Oliver like a very short time, he glanced at his watch and realized that he had already kept the students 15 minutes past the end of class. He apologized for keeping them late and then dismissed them so that they could make it to the Great Hall before dinner was over. He put the school brooms back in the broom shed, returned the quaffle and the beaters bats to the closet in his office, and then ran to the Great Hall for dinner. When he arrived there was only one seat left at the staff table, right next to Adrianna. Feeling somewhat nervous, Oliver sat down next to her and began to eat dinner. They didn't speak to each other throughout the entire meal. Oliver still didn't know how she was feeling toward him and didn't want to risk making her mad again. He figured that she would talk to him when she was ready.  
  
When Adrianna was done eating she got up and left the table, but lying next to her plate was a tiny roll of parchment with a bit of ribbon tied around it. Oliver figured that she had just forgotten it and picked it up, intending to give it to her later. But when he examined it a little closer, he was surprised to see that his name was written across it. He carefully untied the ribbon and opened the roll of parchment. Inside, written in Adrianna's handwriting, were the words "I believe you."  
  
Oliver sat in his office a few hours later. He had Quidditch Through the Ages open in front of him, but his mind was on the little roll of parchment that he held in his hand. He was really glad to see that Adrianna finally believed him, but he also wondered what had changed her mind. He didn't know how things were going to be between them, which made him a little nervous. Would she want to just be friends for a while before pursuing a romantic relationship, or would she want to jump back into the relationship where they had left off? She had said that she believed him, but would she really ever trust him completely again like she had before? He really wanted to talk to her and get an idea of what was going through her head, but he didn't know if he should approach her or wait for her to come to him when she was ready. He debated about it for a while before finally deciding to go and talk to her, but just as he was getting up out of his chair there was a knock at his office door.  
  
"Come in," Oliver called. The door opened and Adrianna walked in slowly.  
  
"Hey, do you have a few minutes?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Of course. Why don't we talk in the living room?" he suggested, opening the door behind the tapestry that led to his rooms.  
  
He held the door for Adrianna and entered after her. They sat at opposite ends of the couch facing each other, and Adrianna spoke first.  
  
"Oliver, I'm really sorry. I should have listened to you from the beginning, but I was so angry when I saw Alicia kissing you. I just assumed the worst and I didn't want to hear anything about it. Even when Alicia told me what really happened, part of me wanted to believe it but part of me was saying that you were a jerk just like every other guy I've met. But I've been thinking a lot over the last couple of weeks, and I realized that you never acted like a jerk toward me. You saved me from my own drunken stupidity on New Year's Eve and you took care of me. You didn't have to do that for me but you did. You've been very patient with me throughout everything, and I appreciate that. And if you'll take me back, I'd still like to be your girlfriend."  
  
Oliver was very relieved to hear Adrianna say that she still wanted to be his girlfriend.  
  
"Of course I'll take you back. I never wanted to lose you in the first place."  
  
Adrianna slid across the couch so that she was right next to Oliver and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He hugged her back and thought to himself how nice it was to hold her in his arms again. He kissed her gently on the forehead, then on her cheek and then on the lips. She kissed him back but pulled away after a moment or two.  
  
"Oliver, I think that we should take it slow for a while. I don't think I can just pick up where we left off before."  
  
He realized that she didn't trust him like she had before. Though it was certainly not intentional, he'd hurt her and now he was going to have to prove himself to her. As much as he longed for things to be the way they'd been before, he was grateful that he had her back and was willing to take things at whatever pace was comfortable for her. They cuddled on the couch and talked for what seemed to Oliver like a short amount of time but was really a few hours. Adrianna looked at the clock on the mantelpiece and sighed.  
  
"I really ought to get going. I still have lessons to prepare and I need to get some sleep."  
  
They both got up from the couch and Oliver walked with Adrianna to the door.  
  
"Goodnight," she said, giving him another hug and a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Goodnight, Adrianna. I love you," he replied as she opened the door.  
  
She looked up at him but didn't respond as she closed the door behind her.  
  
A week later, Dumbledore called an emergency staff meeting. Oliver was a bit curious as to what was so important that it couldn't wait until their regular staff meeting, which was scheduled for the following week. He filed into the staff room with the other teachers and sat in one of the chairs that had been arranged in a half-circle. At the front of the room were Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter.  
  
"The reason for this meeting," began Dumbledore, "is because we may be facing a very grave situation in the near future. As most of you know, Harry Potter faced Lord Voldemort last year while he was still a student here at Hogwarts, and while Voldemort lost some of his powers went into hiding, he is still out there somewhere rebuilding his strength and his powers. I have reason to believe that Voldemort may come back to power a bit sooner than anyone expected. Our young Mr. Potter has been having some disturbing dreams lately, and his scar has been causing him a great deal of pain. Just today, a student came to me saying that Professor Trelawney made a real prediction today, her third one to date I believe. The student quoted her as saying 'Beware, for even now the dark lord is being restored to power. He will seek vengeance not only on his most hated enemy, but also on the children of those who work tirelessly against him.'"  
  
"I wouldn't trust anything Trelawney says," Oliver heard professor McGonagall say under her breath.  
  
"And now Severus," continued Dumbledore, "could I ask you to please roll up your sleeve?"  
  
Professor Snape rolled up the sleeve of his robe and showed Dumbledore his forearm. Oliver caught a glimpse of it and couldn't stop himself from gasping at what he saw. He realized that he wasn't the only one who had gasped. For there, on Snape's forearm, was a grayish-black Dark Mark.  
  
"It's been growing darker every day for the last week," said Snape.  
  
Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Please know that I have full confidence in Severus Snape's loyalty to our side," he said in response to the looks of shock and gasps from around the half-circle.  
  
"Based on everything that's been happening, I think that some of our students are in great danger. For Mr. Potter's own protection, he will be staying here at Hogwarts. He has expressed an interest in assisting with the flying lessons if it's alright with you, Mr. Wood."  
  
Oliver nodded, and Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Heads of house, I want you to relay the following rules to your students effective immediately. Students will be escorted by a teacher from class to class. They are not to be wandering the halls alone, and anyone found doing such will be punished. Students will go directly to their common rooms immediately after dinner each night and are not to leave, with the exception of students needing to use the library, which will be escorted and supervised by a teacher. Students are not to leave the castle without being accompanied by a teacher for any reason whatsoever. I realized that these rules are a bit strict, but I believe that they are necessary if we hope to prevent something disastrous from occurring at this school." 


	21. It all goes down

The next couple of weeks were very tense at Hogwarts. The students had not been told why things had suddenly gotten stricter, and they were rather upset that these new rules had been imposed for seemingly no reason. Oliver's first-year flying students were excited to have the Harry Potter helping with their flying lessons, and Oliver found that he really enjoyed working with Harry. Harry turned out to be a pretty good teacher, so Oliver was able to split the class into two groups so that each student got more individualized attention.  
  
Oliver also had more quidditch practices to oversee in those couple of weeks because the match for third place between Hufflepuff and Slytherin was coming up soon. The Slytherins had been creamed by the Gryffindors in a match just before Christmas vacation, and they were very bitter about not even making it to the championship match. Malcolm had them practicing day and night so they wouldn't lose to Hufflepuff as well. The morning before the match, which also happened to be Valentine's Day, Malcolm and Lauren were fighting over the pitch for practice time even though they were dating. They finally decided that Hufflepuff would practice early in the morning before class, and then Slytherin would take the pitch during dinner and for the early evening until curfew.  
  
Oliver groaned internally when he heard what they'd decided. He'd been hoping to spend some time with Adrianna on Valentine's Day, but now he clearly wouldn't be able to since he had to supervise practices all day. He explained the situation to her over lunch and was very grateful that she didn't look too disappointed.  
  
That evening while Oliver was watching the Slytherins practice, he let his mind wander and found his thoughts focusing on Adrianna. He was encouraged by the progress in their relationship since they'd made up. Adrianna trusted him again, and they were almost back to where they had been before the breakup. He wanted to spend the night by her side like he had before, but he would never be the first one to suggest it. That would happen by her invitation only. Oliver snapped back to reality when he spotted Adrianna walking across the grounds with a picnic basket in one hand. She climbed the stairs to the stands and sat on the bench beside him.  
  
"I thought you might be lonely up here and that you would probably get hungry, so I brought us something to eat," she explained.  
  
She opened up the basket and pulled out two turkey sandwiches, a bunch of grapes, two bottles of butterbeer, and a single red candle which she lit and then placed a charm on it so that it hovered just above them.  
  
"I know this isn't the most romantic Valentine's Day dinner..." she began apologetically, but Oliver cut her off.  
  
"I think it's perfect. Thank you," he said while looking right into her denim blue eyes.  
  
They ate their sandwiches slowly and chatted while they ate. Oliver was careful to keep an eye on the Slytherin team while he had dinner.  
  
"Chip's been acting very strange lately," Adrianna said as they were finishing off the last of the grapes.  
  
"Really? How so?"  
  
"He's very alert. Very restless. He hasn't slept at all for the last day or two, which is unusual. He normally naps a couple of times a day. It's like he's on edge, waiting for something to happen."  
  
"Have you mentioned this to Dumbledore at all?"  
  
"No. I can't imagine he'd be too interested in my pet kneazle with everything else he has to worry about."  
  
But something was clicking in Oliver's head. "Adrianna, I think he'd be very interested. Perhaps Chip's acting like that for a reason. Maybe something is about to happen and he can sense it. Remember what the salesman said when you bought him? Kneazles can detect suspicious characters."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I should say something to Dumbledore tonight."  
  
But she didn't. After the Slytherins were done practicing, Oliver and Adrianna went back to his rooms and talked until they fell asleep together on the couch.  
  
The next morning, Oliver was awakened when he felt Adrianna stirring next to him on the couch.  
  
"No!" she cried loudly, which made Oliver very alert.  
  
"No! No! No! No!" Each time she shouted, it was louder and more frantic.  
  
Oliver realized that she was still asleep and tried to shake her awake.  
  
"Adrianna, it's alright! It's just me!"  
  
He tried to pull her close but she shoved him away and then swung at him. He ducked to avoid getting hit and realized that she still wasn't awake. He gripped her wrists and held her arms in front of her to avoid being hit by her, but she tried her hardest to pull away.  
  
"Adrianna, wake up! It's just a dream! This is me, Oliver! It's only me!"  
  
Adrianna finally opened her eyes and realized where she was. "Oh God. It wasn't real. It was just a dream. It was all just a horrible dream. "  
  
She was visibly shaking. Oliver wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, and this time she offered no resistance.  
  
"What happened in your dream? Do you want to tell me about it?"  
  
She shook her head no and leaned against him. She seemed to be drawing strength from him. After a few minutes she glanced up at the clock.  
  
"Oliver, the quidditch match is today and it starts right after breakfast. If we don't hurry we are going to be late! I'll meet you at the Great Hall," she said, getting up quickly and leaving for her own rooms to change.  
  
Oliver quickly dressed in his striped referee's robes, brushed his teeth, and practically ran to the Great Hall so that he would have a chance to eat before the match.  
  
After breakfast, the entire school headed outside to watch the match, escorted by teachers of course. The stands filled quickly as Hufflepuff and Slytherin took the field. Oliver looked up into the stands and spotted Adrianna sitting with a group of Ravenclaw students. The teachers were spread throughout the stadium instead of all sitting together like they normally did. There were also lots of parents there for the match, mostly the parents of Slytherins.  
  
Lauren and Malcolm shook hands, Oliver threw the quaffle into the air, and the match began. Slytherin got first possession of the quaffle and scored easily. Within minutes they had a sizeable lead over Hufflepuff. Slytherin had scored 14 times when suddenly Lauren, who was the seeker for Hufflepuff as well as captain, took off like a streak of lightning across the pitch. Everyone was intently watching her close in on the snitch. It was just inches from her fingertips when suddenly, a blinding flash of green light filled the stadium.  
  
Oliver felt like he was flying at a very high speed, but not on his broomstick. In fact, his firebolt seemed to have disappeared from underneath him. His flight ended abruptly as he hit the ground so hard that it knocked the wind out of him. He slowly got to his feet and looked around. He sincerely hoped that he wasn't seeing what he thought he saw, but when he pinched himself it definitely hurt.  
  
He was in a clearing in a densely wooded area, standing in a small group of Hogwarts teachers and students. The group was surrounded by figures wearing black hooded cloaks and masks. Oliver looked up and saw a green skull with a snake coming out of the mouth hovering above the scene: the Dark Mark. He came to the realization that these cloaked figures were death eaters, and that one leading this horrible scene was none other than Lord Voldemort.  
  
"Separate the students from the teachers. Bring Potter to me," the cold, inhuman voice of Voldemort commanded.  
  
A group of the death eaters moved in on the group. They pulled away Ginny Weasley, Lauren Sage, Tessa Heatherly, Sofie Grant, and some other students that Oliver didn't know. They bound Harry with thick, vine-like ropes from head to toe and carried him to the feet of the Dark Lord. Now only Oliver, Adrianna, Snape and Hagrid were standing together. Voldemort left Harry lying on the ground and walked over to the group of teachers.  
  
"Ah, Severus Snape, what a happy reunion. You do remember once being a part of the circle of death eaters, do you not?" Voldemort asked with a twisted smirk on his face.  
  
"I am not proud of my past. The only thing good about being a death eater was that it made me more capable of fighting you when I left your service."  
  
"You are a conniving traitor Severus, and now you will pay for your disloyalty," said Voldemort, raising his wand as he spoke. "Avada Kedavra!"  
  
A blast of green light burst from Voldemort's wand, temporarily blinding Oliver. He heard Snape hit the ground with a sickening thud. When he regained his sight, he saw Snape lying on the ground, his face blank and expressionless. He was dead.  
  
Voldemort left Snape's body lying on the ground and turned to Hagrid.  
  
"I thought I'd hear the last of you after I pinned the blame on you for opening the Chamber of Secrets. You were expelled from Hogwarts. You were no longer permitted to even have a wand. But Dumbledore favored you and kept you around as gamekeeper. After that, he promoted you to teacher, and then he sent you to speak to the giants and turn them against me. For a Hogwarts dropout who is not allowed to do magic, you've been quite bothersome to me and my death eaters. More bothersome than you are worth, I daresay. You too shall pay."  
  
Hagrid's eyes grew wide as Voldemort raised his wand. Oliver heard Voldemort shouting the fatal incantation, and another burst of green light burned through his closed eyelids. He heard Hagrid's massive body hit the ground and knew even before he opened his eyes that Hagrid was dead. Oliver instinctively moved closer to Adrianna, and she grabbed his hand tightly as Voldemort turned to her.  
  
"I'll deal with you later, mudblood," he said with an evil glare as he walked away from the teachers and toward the students.  
  
"Miss Weasley."  
  
Ginny flinched as he approached the group of students.  
  
"So kind of you to join us today. Your father is not well liked in our little circle, you know. A champion of mudbloods and muggles is hardly to be admired. But you can be greater than that. You needn't follow in his footsteps. Some of my most loyal followers were the children of important ministry officials who worked tirelessly to try to stop me. Today I extend an invitation to you to join my circle of death eaters. If you accept, you will be a part of one of the greatest causes in the wizarding world. If you refuse, you will die, and so will all of your classmates that stand here around you. The decision is yours to make. I want an answer now."  
  
"I dreamed this," Oliver heard Adrianna whisper.  
  
"What did you dream?" he whispered in response.  
  
"What Voldemort said to Ginny. That was part of my nightmare. She said no and then he killed them, and then I woke up. We need to stop him. We can't let him kill all of those students. When she says no, we need to cast a shield charm around them. It might not work but it's the only thing I can think of."  
  
They turned their attention back to Ginny, who had been too stunned by Voldemort's offer to answer right away. "My answer is no. I would never become a death eater and bring that sort of shame upon myself and my family."  
  
"Very well then," said Voldemort, raising his wand to perform the killing curse yet again.  
  
But this time, Oliver and Adrianna were ready. They shouted the incantation at the same time, but they weren't the only ones. Harry Potter had somehow managed to weaken his bonds and had cast the charm at the same time. Three jets of red light circled the students and formed a weak protective barrier between them and the death eaters. The strength of three charms was enough to block Voldemort's killing curse, but just barely. The shield disappeared, and the students were unprotected.  
  
Oliver didn't know why he did what he did next. He was quite certain that he had never learned this particular spell. But he knew one thing: he HAD to get those students back to Hogwarts. He raised his wand and shouted and incantation that sounded totally foreign to him and the next moment, the group of students was gone. It seemed almost as if someone had been telling him exactly what to do, but he wasn't under the imperius curse.  
  
Voldemort looked furious. He walked back over to where Oliver and Adrianna were standing. "Meddlesome fools! Do you really think you can stop the most powerful wizard on earth?"  
  
"You're not the most powerful wizard on earth, and you won't be as long as Dumbledore's around," Oliver replied.  
  
"I have powers that Albus Dumbledore will never have!"  
  
"Only because Dumbledore is too noble to use dark magic," Adrianna retorted."  
  
"You would be wise to keep your mouth shut, you filthy little mudblood." Voldemort raised his wand. "Crucio!"  
  
Oliver watched helplessly as Adrianna fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in pain. It made him feel ill seeing her suffering and knowing that there was nothing he could do for her. Voldemort lifted the curse after a few seconds. Adrianna was struggling to her feet when Oliver heard a song unlike anything he'd ever heard before. It was beautiful, and it filled him with hope and strength.  
  
He looked up and saw a phoenix flying around above his head carrying an old, dilapidated hat: the sorting hat. The phoenix dropped the hat at Oliver's feet and hovered above him, singing its enchanting song. Oliver picked the hat up off of the ground and when he did, three weapons fell out and clattered to the ground. There was a silver sword embedded with rubies, a wooden bow and arrows with tips made of sapphires, and a dagger with a black blade and a bright yellow handle.  
  
Just then Harry Potter, who had managed to free himself from his bonds, shoved his way through the circle of death eaters and joined Oliver and Adrianna. Harry picked up the sword.  
  
"Choose a weapon and take aim. We have to strike Voldemort in the heart," Harry instructed. Oliver picked up the dagger and Adrianna took the bow and arrows.  
  
"Do you know how to use that thing?" Oliver asked her.  
  
"I happen to have very good aim with a bow," she replied as she placed an arrow in the bow and pulled back the string.  
  
She released, and the arrow hit Voldemort straight through the heart. Voldemort looked surprised, but he did not bleed and showed no signs of pain. Oliver, not wanting to get too close to Voldemort, threw the dagger at him. It imbedded itself in his chest right next to the arrow, and though he now looked slightly alarmed he did not bleed. Finally, Harry ran straight at Voldemort with the sword and drove it into him right up to the hilt. Voldemort fell to the ground in a pool of green blood, motionless. Not only was he defeated, this time he was dead.  
  
The death eaters surrounding the trio had a mixture of shocked and furious looks on their faces. They advanced on Oliver, Adrianna and Harry in an attempt to make them pay for the murder they had just committed. Harry grabbed Oliver's hand, Oliver grabbed Adrianna's hand with his free hand, and Harry caught hold of Fawkes' tail as he swooped down to them. Oliver suddenly felt weightless as he floated through the air with Fawkes and Harry in front of him and Adrianna behind him, up above the death eaters and then the treetops.  
  
Fawkes took Oliver, Adrianna and Harry back to Hogwarts, where they were instantly surrounded by curious students, teachers and ministry officials. Dumbledore broke through the crowd, and Fawkes settled on his shoulder. Dumbledore led the trio through the crowd, up the stairs, through some corridors and up the spiral stairs to his office. Ginny Weasley was waiting there.  
  
"Where are the other students? Are they alright?" Oliver asked Dumbledore.  
  
"Calm down, everything is alright. The students all made it back just fine thanks to you. They are in the hospital wing resting right now. I will be sending the four of you to the hospital wing as well, but first I need to hear exactly what happened today. I've already heard some of it from Miss Weasley and the other students, but I assume other things happened after they came back and I need to know what those things are."  
  
Oliver, Adrianna and Harry took turns telling Dumbledore everything that had happened earlier that day. Dumbledore listened intently until all three were finished talking. "I know you all probably have questions about what happened today. I don't pretend to know everything, but if you ask I will answer you to the best of my ability."  
  
There was a short pause, and then Ginny Weasley finally broke the silence. "Why did Voldemort single me out? Why didn't he ask some of the other students to join him too?"  
  
"That is an excellent question. I am not completely certain, but I believe that it was because your father is so dedicated to fighting the dark arts. Voldemort thought that if you joined him, it would be a huge blow to your father and an embarrassment as well. If you had died, it would have been a very harsh blow to your family and Voldemort wanted them to rethink their loyalties. They would not have, of course. Your whole family is very dedicated to fighting the dark arts, and nothing would change that. I also think that Voldemort saw you as vulnerable, and thought that he had half a chance at convincing you to join his death eaters. You will remember that the last time he saw you, you were a first-year writing in an enchanted diary that very nearly killed you. What he did not realize is that you are a brave, intelligent young woman who has developed into an exceedingly skilled witch in her seven years at Hogwarts."  
  
Oliver thought back over the events of the day and remembered that this whole thing had started at the quidditch match, even thought that seemed like it was ages ago. He realized that he had no idea how they had ended up in the woods surrounded by death eaters and decided to ask Dumbledore about it.  
  
"Another good question. You may have noticed that there were several parents of Slytherin students in the stands today watching the match. Only they weren't just there to watch the match. They were death eaters, and they cast the Dark Mark in the sky and then used a bit of old magic to transport all of the people that Voldemort wanted and themselves to that spot in the woods."  
  
"How did I send the students back to Hogwarts?" asked Oliver. "I mean, I didn't even know the spell that I was saying. It just sort of happened."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "It was the same bit of old magic that the death eaters used to take everyone away from Hogwarts. How you managed to successfully perform it I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet that you are a better wizard than you give yourself credit for. Perhaps you internalized that spell when it was cast on you without even realizing it, enabling you to use it when you needed to."  
  
"Why did Fawkes come to help us? And how did he know where to find us in the first place?" Adrianna inquired.  
  
"Fawkes, being my pet phoenix, comes to the aid of those who show me loyalty in the face of danger. Phoenixes posses very strong magic. They can disappear and reappear at will, their song gives strength and courage to the people they sing to, and their tears have healing powers. It doesn't matter how he found you, only that he found you. He brought you the sorting hat, and the sorting hat gave you those weapons that you used to defeat Voldemort."  
  
"What were those weapons?" asked Harry. "I recognized the sword of Godric Gryffindor, but I'd never seen the others before."  
  
"Take a look at them for yourself," said Dumbledore. He pulled from behind his desk the ruby-imbedded sword of Godric Gryffindor as well as the bow with the sapphire-tipped arrows and the yellow and black dagger.  
  
Oliver took the dagger and examined it carefully. The yellow citrine handle gleamed in the light of the setting sun that shone in the window. Engraved in the iron blade of the knife was the name Helga Hufflepuff. He glanced over at Adrianna, who was looking at the bow.  
  
"Rowena Ravenclaw," she said, running her fingers over the letters carved into the outside of the wooden bow. "But I don't understand," she continued. "I mean, Harry was a Gryffindor, so it makes sense that he would use the Gryffindor sword. But Oliver wasn't a Hufflepuff, and I never even went to Hogwarts. How did we end up with those weapons?"  
  
"Over a thousand years ago, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, and Rowena Ravenclaw, the founders of this school, handpicked the young wizards and witches that came to Hogwarts. At first they worked quite harmoniously, but after a while Salazar Slytherin wanted to be more selective. He only wanted students from all-wizarding families, saying that students from muggle families were not trustworthy. The other founders didn't agree with him, differences arose, and after losing favor with the other founders, Slytherin finally left the school. Lord Voldemort was the last heir of Slytherin. He also favored pure bloods even though he himself was only a half blood, and he took pleasure in killing and torturing muggles, muggle-borns and any other witch or wizard that tried to help them. My suspicion is that the only way to truly defeat him was with the power of all of the founders, working together to protect the rights of muggle-borns to learn and practice magic. In order for those weapons to work on Voldemort you did not need to be an heir of a founder, or be sorted into their house, or even attend Hogwarts as a student," said Dumbledore, looking from Harry to Oliver to Adrianna. "You simply needed to believe in and uphold the ideals of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and face the heir of Slytherin just as they faced Salazar Slytherin those many years ago."  
  
"Why was Voldemort's blood green?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Before Voldemort came to power, he underwent many magical transformations that enhanced his powers and abilities. One of those transformations stored power in his blood and made him more resistant to magical and physical attacks. Those transformations likely affected the color of his blood. You may have noticed that Voldemort is often associated with the color green; his Dark Mark was green, the light from the killing curse is green, and then of course he is the heir of Slytherin, whose colors are green and silver."  
  
"What will happen to the death eaters now that Voldemort is really gone?" asked Harry.  
  
"Many of them have already built respectable reputations within the wizarding community, and they will blend right back into society. The only way they can really be caught and convicted is if they are caught by an auror or if one of you were to identify them. However, seeing as they were all masked and cloaked in your presence and Voldemort never mentioned them by name, it isn't very likely that you will be able to identify them. Of course the aurors will be looking for them, but it is not likely that they will be caught," Dumbledore finished with a resigned look on his face.  
  
"But they can't just get away with all of the stuff they did! I distinctly heard both Draco and Lucius Malfoy laughing!" Harry cried.  
  
"Yes, and I was certain I heard Marcus Flint!" Oliver added.  
  
"That may very well be," said Dumbledore, "but hearing them laugh and seeing them are two completely different things. Nobody is going to believe you in a court of wizards' law if you try to identify them by claiming to have heard them laugh, but did not see them. And now, if there are no further questions, I will escort you all to the hospital wing and let Madam Pomfrey see to you."  
  
Ginny, Harry, Adrianna and Oliver followed Dumbledore out of his office and through several corridors until the arrived at the hospital wing. Poppy directed each of them to a hospital bed and poured them each a large, steaming cup full of some sort of potion.  
  
"Drink all of that. It's a dreamless sleep potion. You're going to need it after what you've been through today," she said, and she began fussing over them as she had a tendency to do.  
  
Oliver downed the potion and felt himself falling fast asleep within seconds. 


	22. Aftermath

Oliver woke up after noon the next day. Madam Pomfrey rushed over to him as soon as she saw that he was awake. She gave him a breakfast tray with some porridge, two pieces of toast and a glass of orange juice. Oliver suddenly realized that he was starving. He hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast the previous morning. He grabbed a piece of toast and took a large bite.  
  
"And how are you feeling today?" asked Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"Alright," Oliver replied between bites of toast.  
  
"Any pain, stiffness, sore muscles?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Very well, you're free to go after you've finished your breakfast."  
  
Oliver looked around the room while he was eating his porridge. Most of the students had left the hospital wing already. Sofie, Tessa and Ginny were still there, all sitting up and eating breakfast. Harry and Adrianna were still asleep. Oliver finished his breakfast and gave the tray back to Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"Would it be alright if I stay here with Adrianna?" he asked.  
  
"I made Colin Creevey wait outside for Ginny, but seeing as you're a teacher, I suppose you can wait in here."  
  
Oliver pulled a chair up next to Adrianna's bed. While he was waiting for her to wake up, he thought of something that he had been wanting to do for a while. He used a summoning charm to retrieve a small object from his rooms and held it in the palm of his hand.  
  
After a few minutes, Adrianna began to stir. Madam Pomfrey appeared at her side with a breakfast tray before she was fully awake.  
  
"How are you feeling today?" Poppy asked her.  
  
"Terrible. Every muscle in my body is sore and my joints are achy. I feel like I can barely move."  
  
"Were you under the cruciatus curse at all?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That explains it. I think I have just the thing..."  
  
Madam Pomfrey went into her office and returned with a small dose of a translucent purple liquid. Adrianna swallowed the potion before taking the breakfast tray that Poppy offered her.  
  
"I'll be back to check on you after you've eaten," said Poppy as she bustled over to Harry, who was just waking up.  
  
"Good morning, sweetheart," Oliver said to Adrianna as soon as Madam Pomfrey was out of earshot. "Hold out your hand, I have something for you."  
  
Adrianna obediently held her hand out flat, and Oliver placed the necklace that he had bought her for Christmas into the palm of her hand.  
  
"I thought you might like to have this now that we're back together again," he explained with a smile.  
  
Adrianna's face lit up. "I did want it back, but I didn't ask because I was afraid you might have sold it back to the jeweler after what happened. I'm so glad you kept it! Can you help me put it on?"  
  
Oliver fastened the necklace around her neck and kissed her gently on the lips.  
  
"Speaking of Christmas presents, do you still have the tickets I gave you to see Mirror Mirror on the Wall?" she asked him.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"When's the concert date?"  
  
"March 1st. It's two weeks from yesterday."  
  
They chatted while Adrianna ate some of her porridge and drank the orange juice, but then Poppy came over and broke up their conversation. "Well, I see you haven't touched your toast, and you barely ate any porridge. Perhaps I ought to keep you here for a while."  
  
"Oh honestly Poppy, I'm feeling much better since you gave me that potion. I'm just not hungry."  
  
"I've already made my decision Miss Brighton. I think it's time for Mr. Wood to leave now," she said, giving him a stern look.  
  
Oliver wanted to stay with Adrianna, but he knew that there was no arguing with Madam Pomfrey. He leaned over and kissed Adrianna again.  
  
"I'll see you later. Get some rest," he said softly as Madam Pomfrey shooed him out of the hospital wing.  
  
Talking about Christmas presents had reminded Oliver of another Christmas present he'd received that he'd forgotten about until now. His pensieve had been sitting in the bottom of his trunk ever since he'd unwrapped it. What had the card from his mum had said about it? He couldn't remember. He hoped that he still had it somewhere. He rummaged through his trunk when he got back to his rooms and found the stone pensieve along with the card that his parents had given him for Christmas.  
  
"All you have to do is put your thoughts in, and the pensieve will help you organize them so that they make more sense," his mum had written.  
  
But how was he supposed to put his thoughts in it? He absentmindedly tapped his temple with his wand while he stared into the clear, still liquid inside the stone basin. When he looked up, he realized that there was something wrapped around his wand. It looked like long, thin, silver hairs, but it wasn't hair. In fact, Oliver wasn't really sure what it was, but he was guessing it had something to do with the pensieve. He stuck the tip of his wand into the liquid in the pensieve and stirred it a bit. The silvery substance on his wand blended into the liquid, and the liquid began to spin rapidly. When Oliver looked in, he saw himself and Adrianna untying packages from their owls on Christmas morning. It was exactly what he'd been thinking about when he'd been staring into the pensieve and tapping his temple a few moments ago.  
  
He stuck his wand into the liquid again and removed the silvery substance, then put his wand back to his temple and concentrated on the events that had taken place in the clearing in the woods the day before. He pulled his wand away and dipped it into the stone basin, and when he looked in he could see everything from a birds-eye view. He put his wand to his temple again and remembered the events of the quidditch match yesterday morning, from the minute he first walked onto the pitch until the second he felt himself being transported to the clearing in the woods. He also remembered the Slytherin practice on Friday night, especially when Adrianna had mentioned that Chip was acting strange. All of these thoughts went into the pensieve together.  
  
After putting all of those chilling memories into the pensieve, Oliver really didn't feel like reliving the events yet again by further examining his thoughts. He sat the pensieve on a shelf in his bedroom and took a long, relaxing bath in his jacuzzi tub before heading to the Great Hall for dinner.  
  
Oliver was glad to see that Madam Pomfrey had allowed Adrianna to leave the hospital wing in time for dinner. He sat at the staff table right next to her and couldn't help but notice that the table looked terribly empty that night. As dinner was coming to an end, Dumbledore asked everyone to pay attention.  
  
"As you all know by now, some of our teachers and students faced Lord Voldemort and his death eaters yesterday. Each and every one of them showed great bravery in the face of danger. A couple of our teachers, along with Harry Potter, were able to destroy Lord Voldemort. Never again will Voldemort be able to rise to power and terrorize the wizarding community. However, two of our teachers did not make it back alive. Severus Snape, our potions professor and head of Slytherin house, and Rubeus Hagrid, our gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, were both murdered at the hands of Lord Voldemort. We will have a school-wide memorial service for both teachers this Wednesday. If any of you wish to say something honoring the memory of either teacher, please let me know by Tuesday. All classes are cancelled until Thursday so that the teachers and students involved in yesterday's events have a chance to recuperate. Professor Sinistra, our astronomy professor, has agreed to serve as head of Slytherin House, so Slytherin students who have any problems should go to her. The early curfew has been lifted and security is back to normal, but I urge each of you to exercise caution whether on or off of Hogwarts grounds. Voldemort has been defeated, but his death eaters are still out there and are likely seeking vengeance for the death of their leader. You are free to go now," said Dumbledore, and the students all stood up from their benches and talked amongst themselves as they left the Great Hall.  
  
Oliver left the hall behind a group of Slytherins. Isabelle King and Morgan Heard were walking a little to the side of the group and talking in hushed voices.  
  
"I can't believe Voldemort killed Snape! He was the only decent teacher at Hogwarts," said Morgan.  
  
"If I'd known that Voldemort was after Snape, I wouldn't have passed so much information to Draco Malfoy. I had no idea that Snape had ever been a part of Voldemort's inner circle, let alone the fact that he'd turned traitor. But what's done is done. And at least Voldemort finished off that great oaf Hagrid. It's too bad he didn't get rid of mudblood Brighton before he kicked the bucket."  
  
"What if someone finds out that you've been aiding the death eaters? You could get expelled!"  
  
"I'll simply say that I didn't know that Malfoy was a death eater, and that I confided in him because he's my boyfriend."  
  
The Slytherin students headed toward the dungeons where their common room was located. Oliver separated himself from them and climbed the marble staircase, his head spinning from what he'd just heard. He now knew the identity of one of the death eaters, but he had no solid evidence. And as for Isabelle passing information... Oliver would have never dreamed that a Hogwarts student would serve as a mole for the death eaters, but it certainly explained a lot. Like how the death eaters had been able to pick certain students and teachers out of the crowd at that quidditch match, for example.  
  
Oliver had a suspicion that Isabelle had done a lot more than she was letting on, and that she knew the identities of more death eaters than just Draco Malfoy. Morgan was her best friend, but Oliver knew that Isabelle wouldn't be foolish enough to tell her everything concerning her activities with the death eaters. He would probably never find out what she had done to sabotage the school, unless he could find a way to justify giving her a dose of veritaserum, a very strong truth potion. He knew he didn't have that kind of authority... but Dumbledore did. He could tell Dumbledore what he had heard, but hearsay wasn't a good enough reason to use veritaserum. Oliver had never felt this frustrated before. If only Dumbledore had been there...  
  
Oliver reached his rooms and threw himself on his bed, staring up at the red canopy. He turned his head and looked through the gap in the bed curtains, where his eyes rested on something: the pensieve. Of course! Dumbledore COULD be there, in Oliver's memory. He could hear with his own ears what Oliver had heard and could reach a decision about what to do from there. Oliver jumped up from the bed and used his wand to put the conversation between Isabelle and Morgan into the pensieve, then quickly left to go get Professor Dumbledore.  
  
When Oliver reached Dumbledore's office, he found Harry Potter there with his trunk packed and his owl in its cage.  
  
"While I understand that you do not wish to be a burden to the Weasley family, I do not feel comfortable with the idea of you getting your own house. These are still very dangerous times. Though Voldemort is indeed gone, his death eaters are not and I have no doubt that you are their primary target for revenge. The Weasleys are more than willing to have you as a guest in their home, and you will be safer there. It is my suggestion that you continue to live with them for a while," Dumbledore said to Harry.  
  
"I understand. Thanks for letting me stay in the castle and help with the flying lessons," Harry replied. He put a featherweight spell on his trunk and left Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Oliver, what a pleasant surprise. I sense that something is troubling you. Is there something that you wish to tell me?"  
  
"Yes. But I think it would be more effective if I showed you. Would you mind coming to my rooms for a few minutes?"  
  
Dumbledore stood up from his desk and accompanied Oliver to his rooms. Oliver got his pensieve from his bedroom and sat it on the coffee table in the living room. Dumbledore sat on the plaid sofa and peered into the pensieve. He leaned down so close that his nose actually touched the liquid inside the pensieve, and then suddenly he was gone. A small gasp of surprise escaped Oliver, but he wasn't worried. Dumbledore was a wise and powerful wizard, and Oliver was certain that Dumbledore knew what he was doing. Dumbledore reappeared on the couch a few minutes later.  
  
"Where did you go?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Inside your memory. I wanted to experience what was said and how it was said instead of merely watching," Dumbledore explained. "I am frankly quite surprised that a student would so willingly assist the death eaters in their mission. I do not know how much she actually knows about the death eaters, but no doubt what they did was a lot easier thanks to her. Perhaps I ought to give her a dose of truth serum to find out what she knows and what she's done."  
  
Oliver was glad that Dumbledore had suggested truth serum. "She'll be expelled, won't she? What she did led to the death of two of our teachers and endangered the welfare of numerous students," he said, looking at Dumbledore.  
  
"The power to expel her does not rest with me, but with her Head of House. She's a Slytherin, so that would be Professor Sinistra. I believe that once Professor Sinistra finds out what happened that yes, she will expel Miss King. Pity, she only had a few months left to graduation. If she is expelled she will never be able to complete her education even at another school, and therefore she will never be allowed to legally practice magic. But she must face the consequences for her actions."  
  
"Oliver, would you kindly go down to what was Professor Snape's office and get a vial of veritaserum? I want you to conceal it in your robes, and then go to the Slytherin common room and bring Miss King to my office. I'll be waiting there for you." said Dumbledore.  
  
Oliver did what Professor Dumbledore requested, and though Isabelle was none too happy to have to leave her common room for an audience with Dumbledore, she followed Oliver without making a scene.  
  
"Miss King, I heard allegations that you have been passing information to a death eater to aid them in their attack on the school. What do you have to say for yourself?" asked Dumbledore.  
  
"I deny it. I would never do anything to endanger my peers or the teachers at this school."  
  
"Good, then I am sure you would have no objections if I gave you a dose of truth potion and asked you a few questions concerning what I heard today."  
  
Isabelle's eyes grew wide. She said nothing.  
  
"Oliver, could I please have the veritaserum?" Oliver handed Dumbledore the small, clear glass vial that he had taken from Snape's office. Dumbledore measured out exactly three drops of the serum and forced it into her mouth, despite the fact that that she had clenched her teeth and kept turning her head away in an attempt to avoid the potion. He waited a few seconds for the serum to take effect before he began to question her.  
  
"Did you knowingly pass information about the Hogwarts students and staff to a death eater?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How?"  
  
"By owl."  
  
"What is the identity of the death eater that you passed information to?"  
  
"Draco Malfoy."  
  
"What kind of relationship do you have with him?"  
  
"He's my boyfriend."  
  
"Do you know the identities of any death eaters, other than Draco Malfoy?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What are their names?"  
  
"Lucius Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Marcus Flint. Vincent Crabbe's and Gregory Goyle's fathers are also death eaters, but I don't know their first names."  
  
"Are you a death eater?"  
  
"No. I will become one when I graduate though."  
  
"The death eaters are not disbanding then?"  
  
"It is not certain what will become of them yet. Some want to continue the work of the Dark Lord even though he is gone. Others say that it is foolish to continue without a strong leader, and that it's an insult to his memory to go on without him. If they decide to remain together, I will join them."  
  
"Were any other Hogwarts students involved in these activities?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Did you tell anyone what you were doing?"  
  
"I told Morgan Heard some of it, but she doesn't know all of it."  
  
"Specifically, what information did the death eaters want from you, and what did you give them?"  
  
"They gave me a list of some names of students that attend Hogwarts and asked for photos and a short description of each student. They wanted to know what the students were good at, what they did in their spare time, if they played quidditch and if so, what position. And they wanted a physical description with stuff like height, weight, hair color, etc. I don't know how they chose the students, I just did what I was told. They also wanted photos of Professor Brighton. I gave them the descriptions and took pictures of everyone at the Yule ball. When they saw the pictures of Professor Brighton and Mr. Wood together, they added him to their hit list."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well obviously he's a mudblood and muggle lover, or else he wouldn't be dating her. That didn't go over so well with the them. It's bad enough that there's a mudblood teacher without having another teacher that sympathizes with her."  
  
"Did you know that they wanted to kill Hagrid and Snape?"  
  
"I knew about Hagrid, but not Snape. I liked Snape, he was the best teacher I'd ever had. If I'd know what they were going to do to him, I might not have shared so much information."  
  
"Was there any other information that you supplied the death eaters with?"  
  
"Yes. I told them when Harry Potter came to stay at the castle. I told them all about the heightened security measures around the castle for apparently no reason. And I gave them the date and time of the quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. You know what happened from there."  
  
"Yes, I certainly do. I am going to take you to the hospital wing now, where Madam Pomfrey will give you a light sedative. You will stay in the hospital wing until the effects of the veritaserum have worn off, and then you will be free to return to your dormitory. Oliver, you may go now." Dumbledore led Isabelle from his office and down the spiral staircase, and Oliver left right behind him. It really wasn't that late, but Oliver felt exhausted. He went straight back to his rooms, changed into his pajamas, and climbed into bed.  
  
The next day just after lunch, Dumbledore called a staff meeting. Oliver sat next to Adrianna and waited as the other teachers wandered in from the Great Hall. When they were all seated, Dumbledore began.  
  
"I want this meeting to be brief, but there are a few things that need to be addressed. First, I want to you all for expressing your wishes to honor the teachers that were killed. Many of you have asked to speak at the memorial service, and it makes me proud to know that the members of my staff are so respectful and caring of one another."  
  
Oliver felt a pang of guilt upon hearing this. He knew that he should say something at the service, and while he was sure he could think of something nice to say about Hagrid, finding kind words to describe Snape was another story. He would have to come up with something.  
  
"Second, I would like to introduce Professors Edith Grubbly-Plank and Seamus Finnegan. Professor Grubbly-Plank will be our temporary Care of Magical Creatures professor until I can someone who will fill the position. Professor Finnegan is our new potions professor. I hope that all of you will make our new professors feel welcome."  
  
Oliver looked at the new professors, who had stood when Dumbledore introduced them. Professor Grubbly-Plank was an elderly witch with short gray hair and a stern look on her face. She didn't strike Oliver as a very friendly person. Seamus Finnegan was a young wizard. He could have passed as a student. In fact, if Oliver remembered correctly, Seamus had been in the same class as Harry Potter and had just graduated last year. Seamus had also been a Gryffindor when he'd attended Hogwarts, which was why Oliver recognized him.  
  
"And finally," Dumbledore continued, "I must sadly inform you that Isabelle King was expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry earlier today. Professor Sinistra, her Head of House, made the decision earlier today after she was presented with evidence that showed that Miss King aided the death eaters in their attack on the school. Well, I believe that is all. Meeting adjourned." 


	23. Remembering and carrying on

After the meeting, Oliver told Dumbledore that he wanted to say something for both teachers at the memorial service. Then went back to his rooms to think about what he was going to say. He decided to concentrate on what he was going to say for Snape first, since that was going to be the most difficult for him. He really didn't want to lie in front of the whole school, but that might be unavoidable if he was going to say something kind and respectful. He thought long and hard, but the words just wouldn't come. He felt awful about the fact that he couldn't come up with anything nice to say, but Oliver had never liked Snape when he was a student and had never made an effort to get to know him as a colleague.  
  
Wednesday morning arrived, and though even though the memorial service was that afternoon, Oliver still didn't know what he was going to say. He went to breakfast with a sense of growing nervousness. What was he going to do? He couldn't just get up and talk in front of the whole school with no preparation whatsoever. Adrianna must have noticed that something was wrong, because halfway through breakfast she turned to him.  
  
"Oliver, you're a lot quieter than usual this morning. Is something the matter?"  
  
"I'm just worried about what I'm going to say today. There are plenty of nice things to say about Hagrid, but I can't think of anything to say for Snape. All that I can think of are the times when I was a student in his class and he kept taking points from Gryffindor for no good reason and criticizing everyone's work. And he never made me feel overly welcome when I became a teacher here."  
  
"Well, you never made an effort to get to know him as a person. You let your negative perceptions as a student get in the way. He was a great professor, you know. Sure he was strict, but I bet you learned a lot in his classes. He loved his subject, he had a thorough knowledge of it, and he was able to put that knowledge in terms that the students could understand. Plus there's the fact that he was able supply those working against Voldemort with a wealth of knowledge once he decided to leave the inner circle of death eaters. He was really a decent person."  
  
Oliver knew that Adrianna was right, but he still wasn't any closer to knowing what he was going to say.  
  
Lunch came and went and before Oliver knew it, it was time for the memorial service. He still didn't know what he was going to say, and the nervousness that had been steadily growing inside him made him feel nauseated. He and the other teachers wore plain black robes for the occasion. He was the last person to enter as they walked in together and sat in the front of the Great Hall. The house tables and benches had been stacked against the back wall, and hundreds of chairs had been set up in their place. The student body was already seated in these chairs and watched as the teachers sat in the front and Dumbledore walked up the steps to the raised platform and addressed the school.  
  
"We are here today to remember the lives of Rubeus Hagrid and Severus Snape, professors who were murdered by Lord Voldemort. Each teacher made their own invaluable contributions to this school, and both will be sorely missed. Many of you have expressed your wishes to honor their memories, and so this is your time to share your reflections so that we can all share in the grieving process. Those teachers who would like to say something will go first, and then students who have prepared something will have a chance to speak."  
  
Dumbledore stepped down from the platform, and Professor Sprout began the ceremony with a thoughtful, heartfelt poem that brought tears to the eyes of most of the people in the room. Adrianna, who was sitting to his left, laced her fingers through his and wiped a tear from her cheek with her free hand. One by one the teachers stood in front of the school and shared very emotional memories and reflections. Professor Trelawney upset many people by saying that she had seen the tragedy in her crystal ball before it happened and regretted not saying something, but that it was not her responsibility to change the future just because she could see it. The more Oliver heard from Trelawney, the more his dislike grew for her. Adrianna went just before Oliver. She took a sheet of parchment with her and read a beautifully written letter addressed to the deceased, describing the brief but close friendship she had shared with both of them. She got through the letter without her voice breaking, but tears rolled down her cheeks as she read and she made no effort to wipe them away. Finally, all of the other teachers had spoken and it was Oliver's turn.  
  
Still uncertain of what he was about to say, Oliver walked up on stage and looked out at all of the students. He thought that he would have become more nervous on stage, but suddenly the words came and he felt at ease and began to talk.  
  
"I had the privilege of knowing both Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid not just as colleagues, but also as teachers. Both men were great people, and I will not soon forget either of them. Hagrid was the most considerate, caring person I knew. He always went out of his way to help others. He loved his position as our Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He had a fascination with magical creatures, and he used this fascination to make his classes interesting for his students. I will never forget my first class with him as a seventh year. Not only did he have Hippogriffs for the lesson, he taught us how to approach them and even how to ride them. It was the best Care of Magical Creatures lesson I ever had."  
  
"I have to confess that I never liked Snape when I was a student. He assigned more homework than any other teacher, and he expected perfection from each of his students. But later I realized that he pushed his students so hard because he wanted them to really learn about potions. He knew how important it was for a potion to be brewed properly if it was to be effective, which was why he graded so harshly. When I became a teacher here, I learned that Snape was really a decent person with a thorough knowledge of his subject, and that he was a great professor because he put his knowledge into terms that his students understood. He was also willing to give of his time and talents to help others, even when it meant great personal risk to himself. Although I would have never imagined saying this when I was a student, I will truly miss Severus Snape. Both teachers will live on in my memory."  
  
Oliver finished speaking and returned to his seat, very relieved that he had been able to say what he wanted to say without getting tongue-tied or choked up. Many of the students had been moved to tears by what he said. He supposed that he'd hit close to home by relating his experiences as a student to the present.  
  
After Oliver had spoken, a handful of students went up to the platform one at a time and spoke. Ginny Weasley shared an especially emotional remembrance of Hagrid, and a couple of Slytherins talked about what a wonderful teacher Snape was. When they had finished, Dumbledore gave a short concluding speech.  
  
"Both Hagrid and Snape have made a lasting impression on this school and though they are gone, they are not forgotten. They will live on through the student that decides to study dragons in Romania, or the young person who tries to create a potion to cure insanity at the Center for Research at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Let their noble behavior be an example to you to always do what is right, even if it may cost you dearly."  
  
Dumbledore stepped down from the platform, and the teachers exited after him with the students right behind them.  
  
Things began to resume a sense of normalcy over the next couple of days as classes resumed. Even though there were only two days of classes that week, Oliver was very glad when the weekend arrived. He and Adrianna discussed their plans at dinner on Friday evening.  
  
"What do you feel like doing this weekend? Do you want to go out somewhere or would you rather just relax here?" he asked her.  
  
"I'd love to get away from the school for awhile. Actually, I have a couple of ideas for things we could do."  
  
"Let's hear then," Oliver prodded.  
  
"Well, I thought it might be nice to take Seamus out for a drink since he's just started teaching here, as a sort of welcome party. We could get a bunch of teachers together and go as a group. And, I was talking to Flynnie today and we thought it would be fun if we go on a double date. If we decided to do that it would have to be Saturday night."  
  
"That sounds like fun. Why don't we take Seamus down to the Three Broomsticks tonight then if he doesn't already have plans?"  
  
"Alright, and then we'll have all day Sunday for some time to relax together."  
  
"Well, not exactly," Oliver said, which made Adrianna's smile fade slightly. "I promised my mum and dad that I'd visit them this weekend. I haven't seen them in ages. I didn't even go home during the Christmas holiday. And when word got out about what happened here, they insisted on me coming home so that they can see for themselves that I'm alright."  
  
"Wow, you'd better go and see them then. I bet they miss you a lot, and I'm sure they're worried about you."  
  
Right after dinner, Oliver and Adrianna caught up with Seamus and asked him if he'd like to go to the Three Broomsticks with them. He accepted their invitation and seemed very grateful that they'd asked him to go with them. They agreed to meet in the entrance hall at eight o'clock. Oliver went back to his rooms and talked to his mum via the fireplace for a while about going to visit that Sunday.  
  
When he got to the entrance hall at eight, he saw that Adrianna had been busy finding more teachers to go and had managed to round up Fleur Delacour, Eva Hathor, and Elizabeth Vector. The six of them set out for Hogsmeade bundled up in their heavy winter cloaks and scarves.  
  
They had a very enjoyable time at the Three Broomsticks drinking and talking and getting to know Seamus better. Oliver loved listening to the myriad of accents. In addition to his own Scottish accent there was Adrianna's American accent, Seamus' Irish accent, Fleur's French accent, and the English accents of both Eva and Elizabeth. It contributed to the already animated conversation.  
  
After several hours of enjoying themselves at the pub, the group walked back to Hogwarts, laughing and carrying on the whole way back.  
  
The next morning after breakfast, Oliver was in his rooms trying to find a pair of muggle-style khaki pants to wear with his black turtleneck sweater. He finally located them hanging in the very back of his closet, pulled them on, and went to meet Adrianna in her rooms. She greeted him at the door with a smile. She had her hair in French braids. She was wearing big silver hoop earrings, flared jeans with tan colored embroidery near the bottom of the legs and a light blue shirt with loose, flowing sleeves. She saw what he was wearing and frowned.  
  
"While I think that turtleneck looks very sexy on you, you're going to be too warm if you wear it. You should change," she said.  
  
"What? But it's freezing outside!"  
  
"Just trust me here. Wear a shirt with short sleeves."  
  
Oliver went back to his rooms, pulled a black polo shirt out of one of his drawers and quickly changed into it before returning to Adrianna's rooms. The door was already open this time, and as he walked in he saw Adrianna putting the final touches on her makeup. She stood up and grabbed an empty Smirnoff Ice bottle from her dresser.  
  
"This is our portkey to meet Flynnie and Alex," she explained. "We'll leave in about five minutes. Have a seat." She sat on the couch with the portkey, and Oliver sat down right next to her. He put his hand on the portkey just below hers.  
  
"So what are we doing today, anyhow?" he asked.  
  
"Going to Disney World."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Adrianna looked at him as though he were from another planet. "You've seriously never heard of Disney World?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"Nope. I'm a pure-blood wizard who never took muggle studies, remember?"  
  
She shook her head in disbelief. "You were a deprived child."  
  
Just then, he felt the familiar jerk behind his navel as the portkey transported them to sunny Florida, where they would meet Flynnie and Alex for their double date.  
  
It was about 11:00 am when Oliver and Adrianna met up with Alex and Flynnie in front of a large, blue five-story building in Downtown Disney. Adrianna and Flynnie greeted each other with a hug, and then Flynnie shook hands with Oliver while Adrianna shook Alex's hand.  
  
"I don't think you two have met yet. Oliver, this is Alex. Alex, Oliver," Adrianna said in introduction.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you," said Oliver and Alex at the same time as they shook hands.  
  
"That's a gorgeous necklace," Flynnie admired, looking at Adrianna's peridot and aquamarine pendant.  
  
"Thanks. Oliver gave it to me for Christmas."  
  
"I think Disney Quest should be opening any minute now. Do you guys want to get in line for tickets?" asked Alex.  
  
"Nah. Why don't we save time and money and just apparate inside after they start letting people in?" suggested Flynnie.  
  
"Adrianna can't apparate," said Oliver.  
  
"Yes I can," Adrianna replied quickly.  
  
Oliver looked at her skeptically. "Since when?"  
  
"Since I passed my apparition test on Thursday."  
  
"I thought you afraid to apparate."  
  
"I was, but I realized that apparating can be a useful and possibly lifesaving skill."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you passed?" asked Oliver, feeling a little left out.  
  
Adrianna shrugged. "Must've slipped my mind with everything else that was going on."  
  
"Well good, then we can apparate as soon as you two have finished with your lovers' quarrel," teased Flynnie with a grin. "See you inside!" And she was gone.  
  
Within moments Alex, Oliver and Adrianna joined Flynnie inside Disney Quest.  
  
The group walked into something called a cyberlator, which had a big video screen on one wall and took them from one floor to the next. Oliver had never seen anything like it in his life. The first attraction that they went to was called CyberSpace Mountain. While they were waiting in line, Alex explained that they would be able to design their own roller coaster and then ride it in a pitch and roll simulator.  
  
Oliver had never ridden a roller coaster and he had no idea what a simulator was, but everyone else looked excited about it so he supposed it would be fun. He stepped up to the console and designed his roller coaster with tons of loops, corkscrews and jumps, then stepped up to the simulator and rode his creation. He stepped out of the simulator feeling a bit nauseated.  
  
"Is that what all roller coasters are like?" he asked, holding his stomach.  
  
"That probably had more twists and turns than most roller coasters. If you could handle that, you can handle any roller coaster," Flynnie replied.  
  
Adrianna slipped her hand into his and, and the four of them left the virtual coaster to get in line for the next attraction; the Virtual Jungle Cruise. Oliver tried to hide the fact that he was feeling a little off- color while they were standing in line, but Adrianna noticed.  
  
"Are you alright, Oliver?" she asked. "You look like you're going to be sick."  
  
"I'm fine," he lied. He didn't want to admit that a muggle contraption had made him ill, but more than that he didn't want to ruin the fun for everyone else.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to sit down somewhere for a few minutes?" asked Alex.  
  
"No, really, I'm fine," Oliver insisted.  
  
They made their way to the front of the line, and each of them received a paddle as they got into an inflatable raft. There was a big projection screen in front of them. Their ride began on a virtual river in a virtual Disney World, but they quickly left that behind as they traveled backwards through time. Their progress on the screen responded to how they paddled the raft. They steered around rocks and paddled through rapids, and even got sprayed with water on occasion. They even went over a waterfall. Finally, the ride ended.  
  
"That was bloody brilliant!" Oliver exclaimed as they exited the raft.  
  
"Yes, it was a blast," Adrianna agreed with a chuckle. "What's next on the agenda?"  
  
"Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters," Flynnie replied with a grin.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"It's like bumper cars, only you can shoot nerf balls at the other people and make them spin in circles."  
  
"Really? I love bumper cars!" Adrianna exclaimed.  
  
Oliver had no idea what bumper cars were and had never even heard of a nerf ball before. He guessed he would just have to wait and find out.  
  
"So what did you guys have in mind for the rest of the day?" Adrianna asked Flynnie and Alex as they waited in line for the Astroblasters.  
  
"We thought we'd hang out here until around five, then go out for dinner and then come back to Downtown Disney for the nine o'clock Cirque du soleil," Alex replied.  
  
"That sounds cool. Where are we going for dinner?"  
  
"It's a surprise. But I can guarantee you'll love it," Flynnie replied.  
  
They made it to the front of the line. Each car held two people, so Adrianna and Oliver climbed into one and Flynnie and Alex climbed into another. Adrianna quickly showed him how the car worked before the ride began. She showed him the gas pedal and explained that it was what made the car go, and that you used the steering wheel to control its direction. She also showed him how to fire the nerf balls and told him that she would drive while his mission was to fire on Alex and Flynnie.  
  
The ride started, and Adrianna ran over nerf balls to collect them while Oliver fired at the pink starbursts on the front and sides of Flynnie and Alex's car. He learned that he didn't have very good aim, while Flynnie, who was the shooter for her car, had excellent aim. At least half of Oliver's shots missed their target, but he and Adrianna kept spinning in circles. Near the end of the ride, Alex and Flynnie managed to corner Oliver and Adrianna, firing upon them mercilessly and causing them to spin nonstop. Oliver gave up trying to return fire and was very glad indeed when the ride ended. He was so dizzy as he emerged from the car that he very nearly fell over. He put an arm around Adrianna's shoulders, more to steady himself than anything else.  
  
"Did you have fun?" Flynnie asked Oliver and Adrianna with an amused look on her face, holding Alex's hand.  
  
Adrianna was laughing. "I loved it, even if you did kick our butts. Can we go on again?"  
  
"I don't know if I can handle going on that ride again," said Oliver. The room was still spinning around him.  
  
"Awww sweetheart what's the matter?" Adrianna asked, looking at him with concern.  
  
"I feel really dizzy. I think I need to sit down," Oliver replied.  
  
"When was the last time you had something to eat?" asked Flynnie.  
  
"At breakfast, around eight this morning."  
  
Flynnie glanced at her wristwatch. "You probably need to eat. It's already three o'clock. Adrianna, can you get him a soft pretzel and some water?"  
  
Adrianna left the group and returned about fifteen minutes later with the requested items, plus a pretzel and some lemonade for herself. Oliver ate the pretzel and sipped the water while he rested.  
  
"Feeling better?" asked Flynnie after he'd finished the pretzel.  
  
"Yeah much better, thanks."  
  
"Good thing I'm a nurse," Flynnie said with a wink as she stood up. "Wanna go on the Astroblasters again?"  
  
"Sure," Oliver replied.  
  
The four of them went and got in line for the Astroblasters again. "Why don't we mix things up a bit this time?" asked Adrianna. "We could go guys against girls."  
  
"That's a great idea!" Alex exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah but you'd better watch out, 'cause you know that we can beat you any day," Flynnie warned playfully.  
  
"Ha! I'll believe it when I see it," Oliver countered.  
  
This time when they reached the front of the line, Adrianna and Flynnie got into a car together as Oliver paired up with Alex.  
  
"Would you rather drive or shoot?" asked Alex.  
  
"Well I shot the last time and I was awful at it, so why don't I try driving?" suggested Oliver.  
  
"Fine by me. Looks like Flynnie's gonna be shooting at us, so be prepared to spin. Try to run over the nerf balls."  
  
The ride began, and while the guys put up a good fight, they were no match for the girls. Adrianna was running over the nerf balls and picking them up as fast as Flynnie could fire them. When the ride ended, the girls got out and high-fived each other.  
  
"Good work, partner," said Adrianna.  
  
"Are you boys alright? Is the room spinning? Do you need assistance?" teased Flynnie.  
  
"I think I need some assistance. Can you lead me by the hand?" Alex asked Flynnie. She smiled and held his hand.  
  
"How much time do we have left here?" asked Adrianna, who never wore a watch.  
  
"About a half hour. It's not enough time to go on another ride," Flynnie replied.  
  
"Why don't we play some arcade games?" suggested Alex.  
  
They killed time by playing video games for about 45 minutes, and then decided that they were ready to leave for dinner.  
  
The four of them left Disney Quest, and Flynnie led them a short distance through Downtown Disney to Bongo's Cuban Café. It was a beautiful Spanish- style building with a huge pineapple in the middle of it. The inside of the restaurant was even more impressive than the outside. There was Latin dance music playing loudly, the bar stools were shaped like bongo drums, and there were colorful murals painted on the walls. There was even a waterfall inside. Oliver could tell just by the expression on Adrianna's face that she loved it immediately.  
  
They were seated at a table for four on the second story balcony. They ordered drinks, and then waited for their handsome Latino waiter to return so that they could place their order.  
  
"So Alex, what do you do?" asked Oliver as they were waiting.  
  
"I'm the History of Magic professor at the Salem Witches' Institute. How about you?"  
  
"I'm the flying instructor and quidditch coach at Hogwarts. Did you go to Salem with Flynnie and Adrianna?"  
  
"Oh no, I went to Forestvale Academy. I only ended up at Salem because they gave me a great job offer. But I'm very glad I ended up there, because that's how I met Flynnie. She's the school nurse."  
  
Oliver looked at Alex and Flynnie sitting together on the other side of the table. It was uncanny how alike they looked. Both were fair skinned with blonde hair. But it was more than that. They were so much alike that even their faces looked similar. "You know, you two could pass as brother and sister," Oliver remarked.  
  
"Yes we know. We get a lot of dirty looks from people when we kiss in public," Flynnie replied.  
  
The waiter returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to place their order.  
  
"Yes, I'll have the arroz con pollo," said Alex.  
  
"I'd like chicharrones de pollo, please," requested Flynnie.  
  
"Could I have arroz con pollo also?" asked Oliver. The waiter nodded and jotted down his order.  
  
"Me trae los camarones al ajillo, por favor," said Adrianna.  
  
The waiter looked up at her. He seemed surprised that she was able to speak Spanish. "Claro, señorita," he replied with a smile before he left to fill their order.  
  
They continued to chat after the waiter left with their order. While they were waiting for their dinner, Oliver noticed a slightly older couple walking in with a bunch of photographers not far behind.  
  
"Wow, that would be really annoying to have all of those people following you around all of the time," observed Oliver. "I wonder who they are."  
  
"That's Gloria and Emilio Estefan. They're the owners of this restaurant and they're pretty famous in the muggle world," Adrianna replied."  
  
"Good thing quidditch isn't that popular here in the US or we'd have camera crews following us around like that, too," Flynnie said to Adrianna. "It was pretty bad the first week or two after we won the World Cup, but it died down relatively quickly."  
  
"What do you mean quidditch isn't popular here?" asked Oliver. "How can it not be?"  
  
"There's another sport that's even more popular called Quodpot. There are eleven players on each team instead of seven. The quod is like a quaffle, only it's modified so that it will explode during the course of the game, but when is anyone's guess. The game is very fast-paced because no one wants the quod to explode in their hands. To score, a team must throw the quod into a cauldron filled with a potion that will temporarily prevent the quod from exploding," Alex explained.  
  
"Although quidditch is starting to grow in popularity, not a lot of people follow it here. After we won the World Cup, we were better known abroad than we were here. It was the foreign journalists and photographers that were interested in us and followed us everywhere. People here were happy for us of course, but there was no real fame or attention from the magical media. It was kinda nice, actually, not to be bombarded by the media when we got home," said Adrianna.  
  
"It's like soccer and football in muggle sports. Soccer is famous throughout the rest of the world, but most Americans couldn't care less about it. We love our football, but this is just about the only country in the world where it has any popularity," said Alex.  
  
"Oh," replied Oliver. He had no idea what either soccer or football were, but he had heard muggle born students at Hogwarts talking about their favorite soccer teams. He had heard of quodpot, but he'd never actually seen a game and hadn't realized that it was so popular in America. He had a hard time believing that anything would be more popular than quidditch.  
  
Their food finally arrived, and unless Oliver was quite mistaken, the waiter was flirting with Adrianna in Spanish. He handed everyone else their food without a word, but when he gave Adrianna her dinner he smiled and said, "Una comida deliciosa para una dama bellísima."  
  
Adrianna smiled back at him. "Muchas gracias, camerero."  
  
Alex, who also spoke some Spanish, had been watching the exchange as well. "Adrianna, that guy was flirting with you and you just played along!"  
  
"He wasn't flirting, he was being nice. Why shouldn't I be nice in return?" she replied somewhat defensively.  
  
"Well, it's interesting how he was only being nice to you while he ignored the rest of us," Flynnie pointed out.  
  
Adrianna suddenly looked worried. "Was he really flirting with me? Oh God, I totally didn't mean to lead him on!"  
  
Oliver wrapped his arm around her and smiled. "Well, if he gives you any trouble he'll have to deal with me."  
  
The four of them continued to chat while they ate their dinner, and Oliver made a point of kissing Adrianna gently on the lips when the waiter came back to ask how their dinner was.  
  
As they finished eating, Oliver noticed that several couples were on the dance floor, moving to the rhythms of the Latin dance music that filled the restaurant. "Would you care to dance with me?" he asked Adrianna when she was finished with her dinner.  
  
"Por supuesto," she replied, getting up from the table with him.  
  
"I have no idea what you just said but I'll take that as a yes," he said with a grin.  
  
"Por supuesto means of course," she explained as they began to Latin dance. Oliver had no idea how to Latin dance, but he and Adrianna didn't really care what they looked like. They were too busy having fun. Flynnie and Alex soon joined them, and they had a very enjoyable time dancing until Flynnie realized that they'd better soon leave if they wanted to make it to the Cirque du soleil on time.  
  
The waiter brought their check and thanked them for coming. He seemed to pay extra attention to Adrianna and kissed her hand before they left. Although it bothered Oliver, he decided to just let it slide. He didn't want to make a scene, and they were leaving anyhow.  
  
Oliver had no idea what to expect of the Cirque du Soleil, but in the end he found himself utterly amazed that muggles were capable of creating such a captivating show. He wondered how an hour and a half could have possibly passed. He'd been so immersed in the show that the time just flew by. The costumes, the lighting, the choreography, the sets and the music combined for a spectacular result that had held his attention from start to finish. Flynnie, Alex and Adrianna had all loved it as well. They talked excitedly about it as they left the theater after the show ended. They managed to separate themselves from the crowd outside and stood talking for a few minutes in the comfortably cool night air.  
  
"Do you guys have anything else planned for tonight?" Oliver asked.  
  
"Well, Alex and I have something planned for tonight, but it doesn't involve you two," Flynnie said with a sly grin to Oliver and Adrianna. Alex blushed slightly.  
  
"This was really a lot of fun. We should go out on a double date again sometime," said Adrianna.  
  
"Yea that would be great! Maybe sometime this spring when the weather gets nicer," suggested Flynnie.  
  
"Well, I'm sure you two are anxious to get going. I'll talk to you sometime this week," said Adrianna, giving Flynnie a goodbye hug. Alex and Flynnie both gave a little wave goodbye, and then with a loud cracking noise they disapparated.  
  
"Well, ready to go back?" Oliver asked Adrianna.  
  
"Not just yet. Why don't we enjoy the nice weather and go for a walk?"  
  
She slipped his hand into his, and together they walked up the loud, busy main street of Downtown Disney. Neither one of them felt the need to talk, as they were both drinking in the sights and sounds and enjoying each other's company. After walking for a while, they sat down on a bench under a palm tree and watched the people passing by. Oliver put his arm around her and she rested her head against his shoulder. It was while they were sitting there that he remembered his conversation with his mother earlier that day.  
  
"Adrianna?"  
  
"Hmm?" she replied, shifting a bit so that she could see his face.  
  
"Are you doing anything tomorrow?"  
  
"Well no, but I thought you said that you were going to visit your parents..."  
  
"I am. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."  
  
"Yes, I suppose so. But if I do, you've got to promise that you'll meet my parents sometime soon. You were supposed to come over New Year's until we had that fight, remember?"  
  
"I remember. I look forward to meeting them," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I've got to warn you about my dad though. He is of the opinion that, well, what I mean is... look, you know I'm from a pure blood family, right?" asked Oliver, groping for words.  
  
"Yes," said Adrianna, "But what's that got to do with anything?"  
  
"Well, my mum hasn't got anything against muggle borns, but my dad... it's not like he's a death eater or anything, but he thinks that pure bloods are better than muggle borns. Please, if he says anything to you about it, don't let it get to you. He can be a bit old-fashioned sometimes..."  
  
There was an awkward silence. "I'm ready to go back now," Adrianna said.  
  
Oliver thought that she would be upset, but she didn't sound like she was. She pulled her Cirque du Soleil ticket stub out of her pocket and, when she was sure no muggles were looking, transfigured it into a portkey that would take them back to Hogwarts.  
  
"Ready?" she asked.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"On the count of three then. "One... two... three."  
  
There was the familiar jerk behind his navel, he was speeding through time and space, and then suddenly they were back in Adrianna's living room.  
  
"Goodnight," Oliver said softly, leaning in and kissing Adrianna gently on the lips. When he tried to pull away, she pulled him closer and kissed him harder.  
  
"Not leaving so soon are you?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She took hold of both of his hands and led him into her bedroom. Oliver was a bit surprised, but hey, he wasn't complaining. She fell backwards onto the bed, pulling him down on top of her. She pulled his shirt off while they made out on the bed. Oliver had never felt such a strong desire for her. He was only partial aware of what he was doing as he removed her shirt and tossed it aside. This felt so right, but at the same time there was a nagging sensation somewhere in the back of his head and try as he might to ignore it, it was still there. They were soon both in their underclothes, still making out passionately. But the nagging feeling had grown stronger. It took every ounce of willpower in Oliver's being to do what he did next.  
  
"Stop," he said a bit breathlessly.  
  
"Why?" she asked, looking deep into his eyes.  
  
"Because we can't do this. We can't have sex. You said that you didn't want to sleep with anyone until you were married. Adrianna, I love you, and I'd like nothing more than to make love to you right now. But you told me that you want your wedding night to be special, and I don't want to take that away from you."  
  
"Yes, you're right, of course" she said, starting to blush. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me..."  
  
Oliver put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Don't be sorry. I just want to make sure that you won't regret anything."  
  
She gave him a look of deep gratitude and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she said softly. She pulled back for a moment. "You'll at least stay the night, won't you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
They climbed under the covers together and cuddled for awhile before falling fast asleep. 


	24. Meet the parents

The next afternoon, Oliver was in his bedroom getting ready to go to his parents' house when he heard a voice in his living room.  
  
"Oliver, what do you want me to wear?"  
  
He walked into the living room and was surprised to see Adrianna's head sticking up through a hole in the floor, but he quickly realized that she'd come through the tunnel that linked their rooms.  
  
"What did you come through there for? You're going to be a mess when you climb out of there!"  
  
"No I won't, I used a cleaning charm on the whole thing. Speaking of which, looks like your rooms could use some cleaning. Scourgify!" The dust that covered the tabletops vanished instantly.  
  
Oliver gave Adrianna's question some thought before answering. "Wear some nice robes and your traveling cloak, and some sort of nice shoes, dragon hide if you have them. I want you to make a good first impression."  
  
"Ok," and she disappeared inside the tunnel, pulling the trap door shut behind her.  
  
She returned a few minutes later in a set of turquoise robes, black dragon hide dress shoes and her gray traveling cloak. From Hogsmeade, Oliver and Adrianna apparated to his parent's house on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland. Oliver knocked with the brass door knocker, and his mother answered the door with a smile.  
  
"Oliver, it's so good to see you again!" she cried, giving him a bear hug.  
  
"It's good to be home," Oliver replied. He grinned and hugged his mum back. She was a slender middle aged witch of medium height with dark brown hair and green eyes that contrasted deeply with her pale skin. He had not inherited any of her looks except her smile. Other than that, he was the spitting image of his father.  
  
"Well, let's not stand here on the doorstep all day and freeze. Come in, come in," she said, holding the door open. "And you must be Adrianna," she continued, shaking hands with Adrianna. "We're so glad that you could come. I'm Oliver's mum, Katherine."  
  
"Pleased to meet you. You have a lovely home," said Adrianna, looking at her surroundings.  
  
"Thank you," replied Mrs. Wood as she opened a set of double doors off the entryway. "Now go on and have a seat in the living room. Would you either of you care for a cup of tea?"  
  
"Tea would be wonderful, thanks," Oliver replied. He took Adrianna's hand and led her into the living room while his mum bustled into the kitchen to get the tea tray.  
  
His dad was sitting in an arm chair in the living room reading the Daily Prophet. When he heard Oliver approaching, he folded up the paper and stood to greet his son.  
  
"Hi dad," Oliver said as he walked across the living room.  
  
"Hello son," his dad replied cheerfully. He clapped Oliver on the shoulder and slapped him on the back in greeting, and then tousled his hair. Oliver shot an annoyed look at him and quickly smoothed it down again. "How's my lad like being back at Hogwarts? Not letting the students give you too much hassle are you?"  
  
"It's really great, the kids are pretty well behaved for the most part. Dad, I want you to meet my girlfriend Adrianna. Adrianna, this is my dad Andrew."  
  
"Nice to meet you," they said in unison.  
  
Oliver's mum returned a few moments later with the tea tray, and they all sat down in the living room and sipped tea.  
  
"You know," his mum began, "There are a lot of rumors circulating about how He-who-must-not-be-named was killed. But nobody seems to really know. The Daily Prophet said that two teachers died trying to protect students, and that two other teachers and a third person killed the Dark Lord and then escaped from the death eaters. They got a quote from Dumbledore, but all he said was that he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that You-know-who is dead and that people need not fear him any longer. Being a teacher, you must surely be able to tell us something more," she pried, looking right at Oliver.  
  
He wished she hadn't brought it up, as he really wasn't in the mood to talk about the ordeal. But he knew his parents wouldn't give it a rest until they'd heard all about it from him. "The two teachers that were killed were Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid. The people that fought Voldemort were myself, Adrianna, and Harry Potter."  
  
"Don't say the Dark Lord's name!" his father yelled.  
  
His mother looked even paler than usual. "You- you fought..."  
  
"Voldemort, yes, and so did Adrianna and Harry. And since I was one of those who fought him, I see no reason not to say Voldemort," he replied, his temper beginning to rise.  
  
"I knew that Potter had something to do with it. Every time something major happens he's involved. And I suppose you went along with him, playing the hero. Just because you were sorted into Gryffindor when you were a schoolboy doesn't mean you have to show off all the time. There's a fine line between bravery and foolishness you know," his father said in admonition.  
  
Oliver felt himself growing more and more angry as he listened to his father speak. He sat his teacup down with such force that it cracked. "I wasn't playing the hero! For your information, I wouldn't have even been there if it'd been up to me! Maybe I should've been sorted into Slytherin like you, and then I could have been defending Voldemort that day instead of fighting him!"  
  
Oliver was seething. He and his father had had disagreements in the past about the houses that they'd been sorted into as students, but Oliver couldn't remember ever being this furious before. He felt Adrianna put a hand on his upper arm to get his attention.  
  
"Oliver, could you show me where the bathroom is?" she asked, giving him a meaningful look.  
  
"Yeah sure," he replied, trying to control his voice. He stood up and quickly left the room with Adrianna right behind him. He led her upstairs to the bathroom, and they walked in together, shutting the door behind them.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked him.  
  
"He doesn't know what happened! I was just reffing a quidditch game, I had no idea that I was going to end up somewhere in the woods surrounded by death eaters and fighting Voldemort! I never asked to be a part of it! He thinks just because I was a Gryffindor that I went charging into things, but he's wrong!" he shouted. He was feeling an intense mixture of anger and frustration.  
  
"I know, I know," Adrianna said soothingly, massaging his shoulders. "He shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that. But if you want your dad to understand, you have to tell him what happened."  
  
"I don't feel like talking about what happened."  
  
"Fine. But if that's the case, I think you should first apologize to your father for the comment about him being a Slytherin. Then just tell him that you're not ready to talk about what happened, but when you are you'll tell him exactly what took place."  
  
"Me apologize! He's the one who instigated it!" But Oliver knew that Adrianna was right. She massaged his shoulders until he felt his anger receding, and then they went back downstairs. It looked as though his mum and dad had just had a similar conversation. Mrs. Wood looked at both her husband and Oliver and then said "Well, I think I'll just clear away the tea things... I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."  
  
"Here, let me help you," Adrianna said quickly, grabbing Oliver's cracked teacup and leaving the room with her.  
  
"Dad, I'm sorry," Oliver blurted out at the same time as his father said "Son, I'm sorry." Oliver looked up at his dad and gave him a sort of half- smile. "Please, just hear me out," Oliver continued. "I'm sorry for what I said about Slytherins, it was uncalled for. I'm really not ready to talk about what happened yet, but I promise you, when I am ready, you and mum will be the first people I tell."  
  
"I'm sorry too," his dad said. "I made a stupid accusation, and I showed no regard for how you must be feeling. You witnessed the deaths of two of your colleagues and fought for your own life. I'm grateful that you even lived to tell the tale." There was a short pause in the conversation. "Well," Mr. Wood continued, "why don't you go fetch your mum and your girlfriend from the kitchen?"  
  
Oliver nodded and went to tell them that it was alright for them to come back.  
  
The next couple of hours passed rather smoothly as they played card games with a self-shuffling deck and talked about nothing in particular. Oliver was relieved to see that Adrianna really seemed to be hitting it off with his parents. However, he knew that the subject of blood was bound to come up sooner or later, and when it did, he feared that there might be another scene similar to the one that had occurred earlier that afternoon.  
  
It happened near the end of dinner.  
  
"So umm.. Mr. Wood-" Adrianna began.  
  
"Call me Andrew," he interrupted with a kind smile on his face.  
  
"-Sorry, Andrew, what kind of work do you do?"  
  
"I'm an Unspeakable. I work at the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Mysteries."  
  
"Oh that must be fascinating! And Katherine, what do you do?"  
  
"I'm just a housewife. I do love to bake though. I make cakes and other baked goods for people upon request."  
  
"That must be fun."  
  
"What do your parents do?" Mr. Wood asked Adrianna.  
  
"My dad's a computer technician, and my mom's a housewife as well."  
  
"Your dad's a what?"  
  
"A computer technician. He's a muggle, it's a muggle job," she explained lamely.  
  
"Oh, then you're a half-blood?"  
  
"No, my mom's a muggle too."  
  
"I see." A frown had replaced his kind smile, and he gave Oliver a look that seemed to say "what are you playing at". Oliver could tell that his dad was trying very hard to control himself.  
  
"Adrianna dear, would you mind giving me a hand with dessert?" asked Mrs. Wood.  
  
"Yes of course," Adrianna replied, giving her a grateful look and leaving the room with her.  
  
"You're dating a muggle-born?" Oliver's dad asked in a hushed voice as soon as his mom and Adrianna were out of earshot.  
  
"Yes, and unless I'm mistaken, you had absolutely no objections to her until you found out what her blood is."  
  
"I have to admit, she's a lovely lass. But she's not exactly what I had in mind for you, son. I was hoping that you would settle down with a nice, Scottish, pureblood witch."  
  
"Well, that really leaves me with a lot of choices. There might be a whole two girls that fit that description," Oliver said sarcastically.  
  
"Don't you get smart with me, lad! I'm trying to have a civilized conversation with you."  
  
"I'm not being smart, I'm being realistic. We both know there aren't that many purebloods left, and to find one that's Scottish would be damn near impossible. Look, I knew that you wouldn't be thrilled when you found out that Adrianna's a muggle-born. But she's truly the most amazing girl I've ever met. I love her more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. Without her I feel incomplete, like the best part of me is missing."  
  
"She's not worthy of marrying into this family," his father hissed venomously. He stood up from the table and gripped its edge tightly, leaning toward his son. Oliver stood as well. He didn't want his father to think that he could be intimidated. "For generation after generation we have kept our blood clean," his father continued, "and I won't stand for a mudblood dirtying it."  
  
"There are more important things than blood," Oliver said coolly. He was clenching his fists so tightly that he could feel the nails digging into his palms. "She's one of the most skilled witches I've ever met, she's an awesome quidditch player-"  
  
Mr. Wood's upper lip was twitching, a sign that he was almost at the boiling point yet trying to keep his cool. "You're a traitor to your family and your blood. I hope you know what you're getting into if you marry her."  
  
Just then, Mrs. Wood and Adrianna returned with a pitcher of lemonade and a plate filled with homemade cauldron cakes. Oliver's mother cleared the table with a wave of her wand, and the four of them sat down for dessert. The tension in the room was so thick that Oliver thought he could have cut it with a knife. Even though his mother made the best desserts on earth, Oliver just picked at his cauldron cake. He didn't feel much like eating anymore.  
  
"Sorry to eat and run mum, but Adrianna and I have got to go back to Hogwarts now," Oliver said not long after his mother had cleared the dessert dishes from the table.  
  
"Bye then, Dad," he said as he strode into the entryway.  
  
He could hear Adrianna saying goodbye behind him, and then both she and Mrs. Wood accompanied him into the entryway. His mother gave him a concerned look as she handed them their cloaks.  
  
"I'll try and make him see reason, dear," she said, giving him a hug.  
  
"Thanks mum," Oliver said appreciatively.  
  
"And Adrianna, it was wonderful to meet you. I hope that you'll come by with Oliver again sometime." Mrs. Wood gave Adrianna a hug as well.  
  
"Thanks for having me," Adrianna replied.  
  
"Ready?" Oliver asked her. She nodded. They apparated back to the village of Hogsmeade, and then walked the short distance from the village to the castle in the cold winter twilight. 


	25. A celebration and a mission

The next week passed without incident, but Saturday brought an event that Oliver had been anticipating ever since Christmas: the Mirror, Mirror on the Wall concert. He spent the afternoon with Adrianna on the quidditch pitch, throwing a quaffle around to pass the time until they had to leave. As seven o'clock approached, they took their broomsticks back to their rooms and got ready for the concert. Adrianna came to his rooms ten minutes before seven. Oliver had the tickets in his hand.  
  
"Are we apparating?" she asked.  
  
"Oh no, these are magical tickets. They're portkeys that will take us to the concert at the time written on them. The stadium where they're having the concert is bewitched so that if people try to apparate inside, they'll be splinched. It's so that people without tickets can't sneak in."  
  
Adrianna made a face. "Good thing you told me. I'd hate to be splinched. I like my body all in one piece, not two. Not to mention the fine I'd get from the Ministry of Magic."  
  
Oliver gave Adrianna her ticket, held his own ticket in one hand, and held Adrianna's hand with his free hand so that they would arrive together even though they had separate portkeys. As the clock struck seven, the tickets transported them to the concert.  
  
The crowded stadium erupted in cheers as the band took the stage. When the first chord of the band's rock music sounded, the crowd became even more electrified. Oliver loved every moment of it. He danced with Adrianna, sang the song lyrics loudly along with everyone else around him, and had a blast throughout the whole concert. He was surprised when it came to and end. The band had played all of their hits and a couple of new songs, but the time had just flown by. Oliver had a hard time falling asleep after the concert that night. His body was exhausted, but his mind was wired. He finally drifted off with songs by Mirror, Mirror on the Wall playing in his head.  
  
The weeks leading up to Oliver's 23rd birthday were marked by two significant events: Professor Dumbledore recruited Charlie Weasley as the new Care of Magical Creatures professor, and Slytherin defeated Hufflepuff in a rematch for third place in the quidditch cup standings. Nearly everyone in the school was excited that Charlie had come back to Hogwarts, and Oliver was no exception. He remembered when he had just started at Hogwarts and Charlie was seeker for Gryffindor's house team. Charlie had been a brilliant seeker, at least as good as Harry Potter. He could have played quidditch for England if he hadn't gone off to Romania to study dragons. Not everyone was as excited about Slytherin beating Hufflepuff, but at least it was only for third place and not the Quidditch Cup.  
  
Oliver was certain when he awoke on March 19th that Adrianna had something special planned for the day to celebrate his birthday. But she made no mention of it when they got up that morning or at breakfast. He thought that maybe she was trying to keep him in suspense, but by the end of lunch she still hadn't said anything alluding to the fact that it was his birthday, and she hadn't given him so much as a scrap of parchment with a birthday wish. Neither had anyone else for that matter, except for his mum. She sent him a fresh batch of pumpkin pasties and a birthday card via owl post. His dad usually signed his birthday cards, but this time he hadn't. Oliver hadn't expected him to though, seeing as they weren't exactly on speaking terms.  
  
"Do you know what today is?" Oliver asked Adrianna casually as they were leaving the Great Hall after lunch.  
  
"Yea, it's March 19th," she replied brightly.  
  
"Does that date ring a bell at all? Sound familiar?" Oliver prodded.  
  
"No. Should it?" questioned Adrianna with a puzzled look on her face.  
  
Oliver felt deflated. "No, I guess not..."  
  
He was thoroughly depressed and in a sour mood when he went off to teach his flying classes that day. Lavinia Medlock was 15 minutes late for class that day, but rather than taking it in stride, Oliver snapped.  
  
"Miss Medlock, you are 15 minutes late for class, so I think we'll make it 15 points from Slytherin. Now get on your broomstick and start practicing your beater skills before I add a detention."  
  
His bad mood only made the class less enjoyable. The students didn't joke around nearly as much as usual because they didn't want to land themselves in detention.  
  
Oliver walked back up the castle after class with his mood worsening by the minute. He could understand that maybe Adrianna forgot to get him something for his birthday, but she could at least acknowledge it... and the other teachers should have known that it was his birthday too, someone should have remembered. He stormed up the stairs to his office, flung the tapestry aside, and slammed the door moodily behind him as he entered his rooms.  
  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVER!" yelled the 50 or so people that had gathered in Oliver's rooms.  
  
His jaw dropped. He was at a complete loss of words.  
  
"Bad day, Wood?" teased Fred.  
  
"Cheer up, birthday boy! You only turn 23 once, might as well enjoy it," George chimed in.  
  
"You know," Fred added thoughtfully, "you should really put a sealing charm on your door. Anyone could just walk in here at their leisure as long as they know the alohamora charm."  
  
Oliver laughed. All of the teachers that didn't have a class had come to his surprise party. All of his old Gryffindor quidditch team members were there, and some of his other classmates as well. Then there were his Puddlemere United teammates, where he had played before joining the Scottish National team. And speaking of the Scottish team, Oliver spotted all of his former teammates huddled in a corner. There was also Bill Weasley, who had his arm around Fleur Delacour's waist, and George's girlfriend Steph.  
  
Standing off to the side in the front was Adrianna with a slightly nervous look on her face. She rushed over to him. "I'm so sorry sweetheart, I know you thought that I forgot all about your birthday and I don't blame you if you're mad at me, but I wanted this to be a complete surprise," she said, motioning around the room.  
  
"It certainly was. You're a convincing actress. How did you do this anyhow?"  
  
"I had a little help from Fred and George," she explained, looking in their direction. They winked at Oliver and Adrianna.  
  
Oliver made his way around the room and made an effort to talk to everyone that had come. He had a blast catching up on what had been going on with the people that he hadn't seen in a while. Both the Puddlemere and the Scottish quidditch teams left after only an hour because they had practice that night. Many of the teachers hung around until it was time for dinner, but then most of them left as well.  
  
Since there was now a considerably smaller group, those who had stayed decided to go to the Three Broomsticks to continue the celebration. Oliver's Gryffindor teammates plus Steph, Bill, Charlie, Lee Jordan, Fleur, Eva, Seamus, and Adrianna pushed several tables together to form one long table in the middle of the pub and seated themselves. They ordered a few pitchers of mulled mead and a couple of bottles of red currant rum, and everyone helped themselves to a drink.  
  
Oliver observed the people sitting around the table. Fred was sitting right across from Oliver with George next to him. They were telling Lee all about some new things that they were working on for their joke shop. Steph was on George's other side, listening to what the twins were saying. Katie, Angelina and Alicia were chattering loudly, erupting in giggles every few minutes. Bill and Fleur were sitting at one end of the table making out. Eva, who was sitting next to Fleur, was talking to Adrianna in a hushed tone and making disgusted faces. Oliver could only guess that she was talking about the scene going on beside her. At the other end of the table, Harry and Seamus were reminiscing about their days at Hogwarts. Oliver felt sorry for Charlie, who was on the corner beside Katie and across from Bill. The poor guy was next to a bunch of chattering girls, and his brother was making out with Fleur directly across from him. Charlie finally got up from his chair and carried it partway around the table so that he was sitting behind Fred and George, hearing about their latest inventions.  
  
After hanging out at the Three Broomsticks for a while, the group grew restless and decided to go back to Hogwarts to watch Oliver open his presents. Bill conjured up armchairs out of thin air so that everyone had a place to sit, and they arranged the chairs in a semicircle so that they could all see Oliver. He opened cards from a bunch of people and thanked those present. There were two large, brightly wrapped boxes that Oliver opened next. The first was a Gred and Forge's Mixed Up Potion kit from George and Steph. The second was a Deflagration Deluxe kit of Weasleys' Wildfire Whizbangs from Fred and Angelina. The Wildfire Whizbangs were Fred and George's patented magical fireworks, and while Oliver had never actually seen them, he'd heard all about them. They were sure to provide hours of amusement once they were launched. Just as he finished unwrapping his presents, he looked up and noticed Adrianna slipping back into his rooms with something bundled in her arms. He hadn't even noticed that she'd left until then.  
  
She placed the bundle in his arms. "Happy birthday," she said with a grin.  
  
Oliver pulled back a corner of the blanket and felt his face light up. This was even better than the Wildfire Whizbangs. It was a crup, a magical creature that closely resembled a Jack Russell Terrier except for its forked tail.  
  
"Wow, thanks!" he exclaimed. "I always wanted a crup but my mum's allergic to dogs, so I was never allowed to have one."  
  
"What are you going to call him?" asked Katie.  
  
"I don't know yet. I'll have to think about it."  
  
"If you ever take him to live in a muggle-inhabited area you'll have to remove his forked tail," Adrianna informed him.  
  
Oliver looked horror stricken. "Remove his tail! That's a bit cruel don't you think?"  
  
"It's just a simple charm, and it won't hurt him at all. That's the Ministry of Magic law. I had to register him for you too, the Ministry keeps tabs on crups just like kneazles."  
  
After playing with the crup and hanging out for a while longer, Oliver's guests began to say their goodbyes and departed one by one.  
  
That Friday after spending some time outside with his crup, Oliver decided to see what Adrianna was up to. He walked into her office and found it crowded and chaotic. There were students from all four houses standing in one corner, browsing through her CD collection and listening to samples of muggle music.  
  
"No final for Muggle Studies, can you believe it?" he heard one of the students whisper to another.  
  
Juan Castillo was sitting in a chair in front of her desk, swinging his feet back and forth and waiting for her. Charlie Weasley was standing beside the bookcase, waiting as well. Adrianna emerged from the bookcase a few moments later with Chip in her arms. She handed him to Charlie.  
  
"There you go. He's pretty well behaved, I don't think you'll have any problems with him," she was saying.  
  
"Thanks, I'm sure glad I didn't have to look too hard to find a kneazle for my classes. The fifth years need to have some experience with kneazles before they take their O.W.L.s this year. I'll have him back to you by the end of next week," Charlie replied. He looked like he wanted to say something else. "Er... I was wondering..."  
  
"Yes?" asked Adrianna.  
  
"Well, I need a unicorn for my classes, but I can't catch it myself, they can only be caught by girls... I was wondering if you might be able to catch one for me. But don't say yes unless you think you can do it," he added quickly. "I was going to ask Fleur, but she wouldn't be able to touch a unicorn with a ten foot pole."  
  
"What do I have to do?"  
  
"First of all, you have to be pure. Not that it's any of my business, but if you and Wood are, er, romantically involved, you won't be able to catch one."  
  
"I'm still a virgin if that's what you mean."  
  
Charlie nodded. "Alright, then here's what you've got to do. You'll go into the dark forest at night and go to sleep under an oak tree. If all goes well, when you wake up in the morning you'll have a unicorn lying beside you and it'll follow you out of the forest."  
  
"And if all doesn't go well?"  
  
"Well I'm not saying it's not dangerous. You could be carried off by a herd of centaurs, or if the unicorn senses that you wish to harm it in any way it will kill you with its horn."  
  
Adrianna peered at the lunar chart lying on her desk. "I'll do it tonight. If I wait it will be getting close to the full moon, and then I'll have werewolves to worry about as well." She looked up and finally noticed that Oliver was standing there. "Hello love," she said, rushing over and embracing him.  
  
"Thanks!" called Charlie as he left. Adrianna waved goodbye to him over Oliver's shoulder.  
  
"We're going to visit my family tomorrow," she informed Oliver as she walked over to where Juan was waiting. She gave Juan a quick explanation in Spanish of something in his Charms book and then sent him on his way.  
  
"We?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Yes we. You promised you'd meet my parents after I went to meet yours," Adrianna reminded him.  
  
"Professor, we found a song!" shouted a seventh year girl wearing Hufflepuff robes. "Wild Wild West by Will Smith!"  
  
Adrianna wrote the selection on a piece of parchment, and the Hufflepuff students that had been in her office left together.  
  
"The rest of you can come back later, I need to be somewhere else right now." The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Slytherins shut off the CD player and left the room reluctantly.  
  
"That means you too," she said to Oliver as she walked out the door. He sprinted to catch up with her.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I have a meeting with Dumbledore."  
  
"What were all those students doing in your office?"  
  
"Picking out music for Sing'n' Swing."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"I cut a deal with my sixth and seventh year students. Instead of having a final, they will use their knowledge of muggles to create a song and dance routine to a recent muggle song. I feel that it's a fair form of assessment, and they will have to use what they've learned to make their performance successful. Oliver I'm really sorry but I've got to run, I was supposed to be in Dumbledore's office ten minutes ago. I'll see you later, ok?" and she broke into a jog. Feeling neglected, Oliver returned to his rooms to play with his still unnamed crup.  
  
That night Oliver sat in the window seat staring out at the dark forest with his crup in his lap. Adrianna had gone out already to attempt to catch a unicorn for Charlie. He hoped that she made it back safe and sound in the morning. He gazed up at the waxing gibbous moon anxiously. He knew that the full moon was still far enough off that there wouldn't be any werewolves transforming yet, but he couldn't help but worry. He leaned his head against the stone window frame and looked out on the grounds.  
  
The next thing he knew, the first rays of the rising sun were shining through the window into his eyes, forcing him awake. He scanned the edge of the forest for Adrianna but didn't see her anywhere. He stayed in the window seat and watched the sun rise, watching the edge of the forest as he did so. After waiting for what must have been a couple of hours, he saw a figure clad in pale pink robes and a heavy gray cloak emerge from the trees followed by a creature so brilliantly white that it made the melting snow around it look dull. Oliver's breath caught in his throat. He had seen unicorns on a couple of other occasions, but he never ceased to be amazed by their beauty. He watched as Adrianna walked straight over to a paddock near what had been Hagrid's hut. The unicorn followed her inside. She stroked its mane gently before leaving the paddock, closing the gate securely behind her. He watched her walk back up to the castle and figured that she would go back to her rooms to get a few more hours of sleep, but was pleasantly surprised when she let herself into his rooms via the trapdoor a few minutes later.  
  
"I didn't think you'd be up yet," she commented as she pulled herself up through the hole in the floor.  
  
"I didn't go to bed last night. I was looking out the window and thinking about you and I fell asleep right here," he explained.  
  
"Why don't we get a few hours of proper rest before we get ready to go visit my family?" she suggested.  
  
Oliver had nearly forgotten about meeting her family even though she'd just reminded him yesterday. They went into his bedroom together and got into bed fully dressed. They were sound asleep within minutes. 


	26. Meet the other parents

As Oliver got ready to go to Adrianna's parents' house for dinner that evening, a thousand different thoughts were running through his head. What if they didn't like him? What if he made a fool of himself because he didn't know very much about muggles? What if her parents were as anti- wizard as his father was anti-muggle? He tried to clear his head as he pulled on a long sleeved gray t-shirt.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," he told himself. "If her parents were really anti- wizard, they would have never let her go to a school for magic in the first place."  
  
Adrianna appeared with a portkey a few minutes later, and a few seconds after that they were at her front door in the middle of a suburban town. She rang the bell, and a teenage girl with strawberry blonde hair answered the door.  
  
"Yo Age, is this your boyfriend?" the girl asked as she held the door open.  
  
"Don't call me that! You know I hate it. And yes, this is my boyfriend Oliver. Oliver, this is my sister Leah."  
  
"Pleasure," Oliver replied. Leah just kind of nodded slightly.  
  
"Where's Mom?" asked Adrianna.  
  
"Um, in the kitchen making dinner, duh," Leah replied as if this were the most obvious answer in the world. She left the room, and Oliver heard her footsteps going up the stairs a few moments later.  
  
"She's got a bit of an attitude, hasn't she?" he remarked quietly to Adrianna as soon as he was certain Leah couldn't hear him.  
  
"Yeah, just a bit," Adrianna replied. She led him through the living room and the dining room into the kitchen.  
  
As they walked, Oliver looked around at the various muggle objects that surrounded him. He recognized things like the electric table lamps and the telephone, but other things were completely foreign to him. Once they reached the kitchen he spotted Adrianna's mom in front the electric stove, adding seasoning to the chicken that she was browning in a skillet.  
  
"Hello!" Adrianna's mom said brightly as she looked up from the stove. She turned away from the skillet for a few minutes to give her oldest daughter a bear hug. "And you must be Oliver. It's nice to finally meet you," she said, reaching for Oliver's hand. "I'm Vickie."  
  
"Nice to meet you," he replied, shaking her hand.  
  
"Do you need any help with dinner?" Adrianna offered.  
  
"If you want to set the table that would be great, but other than that, I think everything is just about ready," Mrs. Brighton replied. Adrianna pulled her wand out of the front pocket of her flared jeans and gave it a wave, and five place settings floated gracefully out of the cabinets and set themselves at the dining room table.  
  
"Do you know where Dad is?" Adrianna inquired.  
  
"He went out for a walk before dinner, but he should be back any time now," her mother replied.  
  
As if on cue, the back door opened and a middle-aged man with short brown hair entered the kitchen.  
  
"Hi Dad! This is Oliver. Oliver, this is my dad Roy," Adrianna said in introduction. Oliver reached for Mr. Brighton's hand and shook it firmly.  
  
"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Brighton announced. "Adrianna, can you go tell your sister to come downstairs?"  
  
Adrianna nodded and walked over to the staircase, but rather than climbing it to fetch her sister she shouted up the stairs. "Kiddo! Dinner's ready, get down here!"  
  
Leah came running down the stairs wearing a scowl. "I'm not a 'kiddo' anymore. I'm seventeen, I'm almost an adult."  
  
"You may be nearly an adult, but you'll always be my kid sister," Adrianna replied with a grin.  
  
Leah simply rolled her eyes and seated herself at the head of the oval dining room table. Adrianna sat to Leah's left and motioned for Oliver to sit down next to her. Across from Oliver and Adrianna were Mr. and Mrs. Brighton. Adrianna's mother said grace, and then they began passing dishes of seasoned chicken breast, white rice and steamed broccoli around the table. Oliver thought that the dinner was delicious. It was so good it rivaled his own mother's cooking.  
  
"This is a really great dinner," Oliver said, and there were murmurs of agreement around the table. Mrs. Brighton beamed.  
  
"I can't believe you made a dinner this good without magic," he continued.  
  
Adrianna's dad looked up very suddenly upon hearing the word 'magic' but said nothing. Oliver got the impression that he was surprised but not really upset.  
  
"Oliver's a wizard, Daddy," Adrianna explained.  
  
"Does he got a magic stick?" asked Leah, a devilish smile spreading across her face. Mrs. Brighton shot a warning glare at Leah. Adrianna blushed deeply.  
  
"Actually, I do," Oliver replied. Leah's eyes widened. Oliver pulled his wand out of his jeans pocket and held it up for her to see.  
  
"That's nothing special," she said, her eyes resuming their normal size. "Age has one of them too."  
  
"You're just jealous that you don't have a wand of your own," Adrianna teased.  
  
"I could have one o' them jawns if I wanted it," Leah replied.  
  
"Yeah, a lot of good it would do you too. You haven't got an ounce of magic in you."  
  
"Shows how much you know," Leah retorted sarcastically.  
  
"What do you mean?" Adrianna demanded.  
  
But Leah wouldn't speak another word throughout the rest of dinner.  
  
They finished dinner and Adrianna's mother began to clear the table, but Adrianna stopped her. "I'll do it, Mom. You know it only takes me a couple of minutes anyhow," she said, pulling out her wand.  
  
"I'll help too," Oliver offered, brandishing his own wand.  
  
"Thanks," Mrs. Brighton replied.  
  
She and Mr. Brighton walked into the living room and turned on the television. Leah returned to her bedroom as soon as she was done eating. Oliver and Adrianna used their wands to clear the table, put the leftovers away, and make the dishes wash themselves.  
  
"Thanks for helping, love," said Adrianna when they were finished. "Why don't you go and have a seat in the living room with my parents? They won't bite, I promise."  
  
"Why, where are you going?"  
  
"I have to talk to Leah. I've got to find out whether she was just messing with me or if there really is something about her that she's hiding."  
  
Adrianna climbed the stairs to talk to her sister, and Oliver walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. He stared at the television for a minute. "Curious," he commented. "I've only ever seen one of these once before, and I've never even seen a television program."  
  
"What do wizards do for entertainment?" asked Mrs. Brighton.  
  
"Oh lots of things. There's wizard's chess, exploding snap, gobstones, and quidditch, to name a few."  
  
"I know how to play chess," said Adrianna's dad. "How is wizard's chess different?"  
  
"The pieces fight when they take each other out. It makes for some really interesting matches."  
  
"And what's exploding snap?" inquired Adrianna's mom.  
  
"It's a card game. The cards will explode every so often, so you'll want to pay attention when you're playing it. Gobstones are like marbles except that they can spit a foul-smelling liquid into the players' faces. And quidditch is our sport in the wizarding world. It's popularity is comparable to soccer in the muggle world."  
  
"I think Adrianna may have mentioned quidditch once or twice. How's it played?" asked Mrs. Brighton.  
  
Oliver went on to describe the game of quidditch, but he could tell that Adrianna's parents were lost.  
  
"It sounds fascinating. So, Adrianna tells me that you're a teacher at the same school that she's teaching at," Mrs. Brighton said, trying to keep up the conversation.  
  
"Yeah, I teach flying and coach quidditch," Oliver replied.  
  
"Oh, then you both teach at a school for magic?"  
  
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's the best school of magic in the world," Oliver replied.  
  
"That's funny, Adrianna told us that she was teaching cultural studies at a boarding school in Scotland. I wonder why she lied to us," Mr. Brighton commented.  
  
"She didn't really lie, sir," Oliver said in her defense. "She does teach Muggle Studies, and Hogwarts is a boarding school. She may not have told the whole truth, but she didn't lie."  
  
There was a pause in the conversation during which Oliver collected his thoughts and worked up the nerve to say what he wanted to say next.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Brighton," he began, "I realize that I haven't know your daughter for very long, but I love her more than life itself. When I picture my future, I can't imagine it without her. I'd like to ask for your permission to ask Adrianna for her hand in marriage."  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Brighton looked at each other for a few moments before either of them responded.  
  
"Well Oliver, you seem like a nice young man to me. Very well-mannered and considerate," said Mr. Brighton.  
  
"Adrianna has a very level head when it comes to boys. I trust her judgment. I personally would prefer if you wait for a little while before getting engaged, but that is between you and Adrianna. You have our permission to ask Adrianna to marry you whenever you see fit," said Mrs. Brighton with a smile.  
  
Oliver didn't realize that he'd been holding his breath until he exhaled with a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me," he said gratefully.  
  
A few moments later Adrianna returned to the living room with Leah in tow. She noticed immediately that the TV was on and turned it off before sitting next to Oliver on the couch.  
  
"Hey! I was watching that!" her father protested.  
  
"Key word: was. I hate the TV. Why don't we all play a game or something?" suggested Adrianna.  
  
"Dominoes!" Leah exclaimed as she flopped on the couch next to Adrianna and put her feet across Adrianna's lap. "Can we play dominoes, mom?"  
  
"That's up to Adrianna and Oliver, they're the guests," Mrs. Brighton replied.  
  
"Can we?" Leah repeated eagerly, this time looking in Oliver and Adrianna's direction.  
  
"Only if you get your feet off of me," Adrianna replied.  
  
Leah stuck her feet in Adrianna's face before getting up to get the game out of the bottom of the china cabinet in the dining room. Everyone else followed Leah to the dining room and sat around the table. Oliver played the first round with Adrianna so that he could learn how to play, but he caught on quickly and by the second round he was able to play on his own. Before any of them realized it, a couple of hours had passed.  
  
"We should probably be getting back now," said Adrianna as she glanced at the clock on the wall. There were hugs all around as everyone said their goodbyes. Adrianna found the old glove that they had used as a portkey earlier, and Oliver and Adrianna were back at Hogwarts in a flash.  
  
"So, what did you think of my family?" asked Adrianna as they sat on his plaid sofa.  
  
"You parents were very nice people, and Leah was a trip. Is she always like that, or was she just being a show-off?"  
  
"She's always like that."  
  
"What did she say to you upstairs?"  
  
"She's a witch, Oliver. Well, she could have been if she'd had the proper training, anyhow. She got a letter from Salem when she was eleven, but she threw it away because she didn't want to go to a school for magic. She didn't want to leave her friends, and she didn't want to follow in my footsteps for the rest of her life."  
  
"Well, I suppose the wizarding world isn't for everyone. She was raised a muggle, that's all she's ever known. Maybe she didn't want to leave what was familiar to her."  
  
"Yes, but I was raised a muggle and I had no problem leaving to join the wizarding world..."  
  
"Maybe she's not as brave as you."  
  
"I'm not brave."  
  
Oliver looked at his girlfriend in disbelief. "You left your muggle home to go to a wizarding school, then went to a muggle college full time while playing quidditch for your country's national team. You then packed up and left everything you've ever know to teach in a foreign country, and since you've been here you've helped to defeat the most evil wizard of all time. No cowardly person would have accomplished all of that."  
  
"Well, if you look at it that way..."  
  
Oliver gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "I wonder what house you would have been sorted into here," he thought aloud.  
  
"Gryffindor," she replied promptly.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I tried the sorting hat on one day when I was in Dumbledore's office. It debated whether to put me in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, but in the end it said that I would have been a Gryffindor if I'd gone to Hogwarts as a student."  
  
"You mean to tell me that you knew that you would have been sorted into Gryffindor, yet you still don't think you're brave?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"I suppose I am sort of brave," she conceded.  
  
Just then Oliver's crup came wandering into the living room from his bedroom. "Here Crup," Adrianna called. He came trotting over to her.  
  
"He has a name you know," said Oliver.  
  
"Really? It took you long enough to come up with one. What is it, then?"  
  
"Duncan." "That's a strange name for a pet. Why Duncan?"  
  
"I dunno. It's a traditional Scottish name. And it's no stranger than calling a kneazle Chip," he replied.  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't stick out your tongue unless you're planning to use it," he teased.  
  
"Who says I wasn't planning to use it?" she replied slyly before french kissing him. 


	27. A Weasley wedding

The next month passed in a flurry of activity, and all of a sudden it was the week of Fred and Angelina's wedding. Oliver received a letter from George at breakfast one morning in the owl post. He removed the letter from George's owl's foot and the owl swooped out of the great hall. He read it quickly, not realizing that Adrianna was reading over his shoulder.  
  
"So, are you going?" she asked.  
  
"I thought I would, unless you adamantly object."  
  
"No, I think you should go to Fred's bachelor party. You'll have fun. Just don't tell me what happens there, I think I'm better off not knowing," Adrianna replied.  
  
So on Friday night, Oliver apparated to Fred and George's apartment above Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Bill and Charlie were already there. Lee Jordan arrived just after him, and Harry and Ron got there about five minutes later.  
  
"Is that everyone, then," asked Lee.  
  
"Yeah, should be," George replied.  
  
"Where exactly are we going?" inquired Harry.  
  
"Knockturn Alley," Fred and George replied in unison, identical mischievous grins on their faces.  
  
"But that's where all those dark wizard shops are!" cried Ron.  
  
"Awww, is ickle Ronnie afwaid?" teased George in a mock baby voice.  
  
"You didn't expect to find a strip club on nice, respectable Diagon Alley now did you?" asked Bill.  
  
The group set out on foot and walked about fifteen minutes until they came to a building that appeared to be abandoned. Bill tapped a sequence of bricks on the wall, and a doorway suddenly appeared. They handed their IDs to a wizard with multiple piercings sitting behind a desk just past the doorway, and he inspected them before handing them back.  
  
"This way," said Bill, leading them through the crowd and up a narrow staircase. "I got us a private room." He ushered them into a room with a sofa and a couple of armchairs. In addition to the furniture, there was a keg of mulled mead.  
  
"You only got one keg?" asked Fred, looking a bit annoyed.  
  
"It's a bottomless keg," Bill replied. Oliver almost laughed aloud as Fred's expression quickly changed from one of annoyance to glee.  
  
"Excellent," said Charlie, helping himself to the mead.  
  
The guys spent the evening drinking from their bottomless keg and watching the various witches that came up to their private room to strip for them. At first they were satisfied to just watch and cheer, but after the first few strippers they became increasingly inebriated and discontent. They magically removed the clothes of the next witch that came to the room in the middle of her routine, then laughed at the look of mixed confusion and embarrassment when she tried to remove the next article of clothing and realized that it was already gone. Oliver noticed her confusion turning to anger, and would have stopped laughing had she not just grabbed her wand from the floor and hit him with a tickling charm. She hexed every one of them before leaving the room in a huff. Poor Fred had been hit with a nasty furnunculus curse, resulting in painful boils all over his body.  
  
"That'll look just lovely for your wedding photos tomorrow," teased Harry, who had performed the counter-curse to whatever hex had hit him.  
  
"Not to worry," said George through gritted teeth. He was trying to hold his legs still, but they were jerking uncontrollably. "We've got the antidote back at the apartment. We brewed a whole cauldron of it when we were testing our new Botched Bon-bons."  
  
"They're bon-bons that, when consumed, produce boils similar to the ones I've got now," Fred explained.  
  
"Can- someone- do- the- counter-curse?" Oliver gasped, tears rolling down his face and still laughing hysterically.  
  
"Finite incantatem!" shouted Harry, waving his wand. Oliver was finally able to stop laughing, and nearly everyone else was free from the adverse effects of the various hexes. However, Fred was still covered in boils and Ron was still vomiting slugs.  
  
"Hey Ron, remember in second year when you tried to curse Malfoy with your broken wand and you cast the slug hex on yourself?" asked Harry with a grin.  
  
"Shut up Harry," said Ron with a glare in Harry's direction.  
  
"Hey mates, I could be wrong here, but I think we ought to leave this place before that witch goes to her boss and tells him what we've done. Better to leave on our own than to get thrown out," said Lee.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Let's go," agreed Charlie.  
  
"Not without our keg! I shelled out a lot of galleons for that!" shouted Bill. He shrunk the keg so that it fit into the palm of his hand and stowed it in his pocket, and then the group made their way back to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, some of them staggering and swaying as they went.  
  
Oliver awoke with a splitting headache the next morning. He rolled over, looked at the clock, groaned loudly and closed his eyes again.  
  
"That'll teach you not to get drunk," said Adrianna, who was lying awake next to him.  
  
"Ha! That's like the pot calling the kettle black. I seem to remember someone else getting rather trashed on New Year's Eve," he replied, which shut her up effectively. He didn't want to get out of bed, but he also didn't want to have to deal with his headache. He reluctantly rolled out of bed and staggered to the hospital wing for a dose of hangover potion.  
  
By early afternoon when it was time to leave for the wedding, Oliver was feeling one hundred percent better. He and Adrianna dressed in nice sets of robes and then walked to Hogsmeade so that they could apparate to Angelina's parents' house, where the wedding was to take place.  
  
It was a bright, sunshiny Saturday in April, which was perfect for the huge garden wedding that Fred and Angelina had planned. Fred stood in front of a beautiful arch covered in white flowers, and Oliver was glad to see that Fred's boils had cleared up since last night. Fred was looking a little nervous as the groomsmen walked the bridesmaids down the aisle. The bridesmaids wore lovely aqua-colored matching dress robes, and the groomsmen wore simpler charcoal gray dress robes.  
  
After the rest of the wedding party had gone down the aisle, everyone oohed and aahed as Angelina walked down the aisle on the arm of her father. Oliver could barely believe that this was the same girl that he had played quidditch with for four years. She looked amazingly beautiful in her flowing white bridal robes. She had chosen not to wear a veil, but instead wore a gold tiara imbedded with pearls. She was positively glowing with joy as her father kissed her on the cheek and handed her off to Fred. Oliver could hear Mrs. Weasley sobbing as the happy couple exchanged vows and rings. When they were finished Fred kissed his bride, and then the crowd clapped as the ministry wizard that had performed the ceremony pronounced them husband and wife.  
  
After the ceremony was over, a live band set up the garden while the guests were invited to help themselves to appetizers and fancy little finger sandwiches. When everyone seemed to have had their fill, the band began to play and Angelina and her father had the traditional father-daughter dance. Angelina had not cried during the ceremony, but Oliver saw a few tears trickle down her face as she danced with her father and noticed that her dad was crying as well.  
  
When they had finished, Fred requested a dance with his mother. He was beaming the whole time, but Mrs. Weasley was sobbing hard on his shoulder. After that, Fred and Angelina invited their guest to join them as they began to dance together. Knowing how much Adrianna loved to dance, he led her over to the grassy area where the others were and slow danced with her. After the first few songs the songs became more upbeat, and everyone had fun dancing until Mrs. Johnson announced that her daughter and son-in-law were ready to cut the cake. They fed each other the first piece of cake. To everyone's surprise, Fred fed his piece to Angelina very nicely. Angelina, however, smashed her piece all over Fred's face.  
  
"No fair, I was nice to you!" Fred exclaimed as he reached for a napkin to wipe off his face.  
  
When everyone had had a piece of the cake, Angelina announced that she was going to throw her bouquet. All of the single ladies gathered in a group behind her. There was a scramble as the girls literally fought for it, but in the end George's girlfriend Steph emerged triumphant, sporting a bloody nose and holding the bouquet above her head.  
  
"That means I've got to catch the garter. I'm not letting someone else put it on my girlfriend. You'd better stay out of the way if you don't want to be injured, Wood," George muttered in Oliver's ear.  
  
Sure enough, when Fred threw the garter, Ron caught it and George immediately tackled him and wrestled him for it. Steph sat in a chair holding the bouquet while George slid the garter up her leg.  
  
After dancing for a while longer, Fred and Angelina announced that they were departing for their new house that they'd bought together and that they'd be leaving on their honeymoon the next day. The reception continued for a while after they left, but eventually it began to wind down, and Oliver and Adrianna returned to Hogwarts.  
  
They decided to hang out in Adrianna's rooms for a while, and Oliver brought Duncan over to see how he interacted with Chip. Both he and Adrianna were pleasantly surprised to see that the crup and the kneazle seemed to get along rather well. They were observing their pets when there was a knock at Adrianna's door. She pointed her wand at it and the bookshelf/door swung open to reveal Minerva McGonagall. 


	28. An invitation

"Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak to both of you," she announced.  
  
As they followed Minerva down the corridor, Oliver gave Adrianna a curious glance as if to say, "Do you know what this is about?" She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a look that seemed to say, "Not a clue." Soon enough they had reached Professor Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Please sit down," said Dumbledore as Professor McGonagall left, closing the door behind her. Oliver and Adrianna sat in comfortable chintz armchairs across the desk from Dumbledore.  
  
"What I am about to tell you involves a certain amount of secrecy and danger. I feel that after what the two of you have been through, you would be of great service... but I am getting ahead of myself. Allow me to start from the beginning. Many years ago, when Lord Voldemort first came to power, I founded a secret society called the Order of the Phoenix. Our purpose was to track known Death Eaters and do everything in our power to stop Voldemort. Now that Voldemort is gone, we keep tabs on the Death Eaters and do what we can to make sure that they don't find a new leader who is just as power-hungry, or perhaps more so, than Voldemort. The members of the Order are from all walks of life, and each member contributes whatever they can. After seeing the way you two along with Harry Potter dealt with Voldemort and the Death Eaters that day in the woods, I have no doubt in my mind that both of you would make invaluable contributions to the Order. You are both very skilled and very courageous. I want to extend you both an invitation to join the Order of the Phoenix."  
  
Oliver was unable to hide the surprise he felt, but when he looked at Adrianna he realized that she didn't look half as surprised as he did.  
  
"Of course, I figured there was some sort of society like this. How else would you know everything that you do? Like when you warned us that there would be some sort of attack on the school..." Adrianna thought aloud.  
  
"Do the people in the Order actually catch Death Eaters?" asked Oliver, a little unsure of what would be expected of him if he decided to join.  
  
"No, we leave that to the aurors," Dumbledore replied. "We simply want to know what is going on so that when the time comes for action, we will be prepared."  
  
Adrianna seemed to be deep in thought for a few minutes before seeming to come to a realization. "Snape and Hagrid were in the Order, weren't they?" she asked, looking straight at Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes. They both did immeasurable amounts of work for the Order, but unfortunately they were discovered by Voldemort and paid dearly."  
  
"So when you say it's dangerous, you mean we could die?" pressed Adrianna.  
  
"Yes, you could die. Or worse."  
  
"What's worse than dying!?" exclaimed Oliver.  
  
"There are many things worse than death, but I can assure you that none of them are probable. Death Eaters are rather fond of the killing curse," Dumbledore replied, smiling sadly. "I understand that this is a very big decision, and if you choose not to join I understand. But I must impress upon you the seriousness of keeping the Order a secret. We are very selective in who we tell," Dumbledore explained.  
  
"Yes, we understand," Adrianna replied.  
  
"We'll think about it," added Oliver.  
  
Over the next few days, Oliver and Adrianna discussed whether or not to join the Order of the Phoenix.  
  
"I think that we ought to do it," Oliver said. "Anything that we can do to stop the Death Eaters is worth whatever sacrifice we have to make."  
  
"But we can't just think of ourselves. What if, somewhere down the line, we have kids? Will they be in danger just because we're members of the Order? Will they have to grow up orphans because we're killed in a duel?"  
  
I'm sure loads of people in the Order have kids, and they're just fine. And if we are killed, we have relatives that I'm sure would raise any children we might have."  
  
"What about if one of us died and the other didn't?"  
  
Oliver thought for a moment before answering. "That would be the most difficult thing I'd ever have to go through. But I'd still be willing to do what's necessary."  
  
In the end, both of them agreed to join the Order of the Phoenix. Professor Dumbledore was delighted. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed when they gave him their decision. "Now, I am going to give you a bit of very secret information, and it must stay a secret no matter the cost. Are you ready?"  
  
Oliver and Adrianna nodded.  
  
"The Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number 24, Godric's Hollow."  
  
They both repeated the sentence back to Dumbledore. "Yes, now it's very important that you memorize that bit of information, for without it you will not be able to find headquarters no matter how hard you try."  
  
Something about that address seemed very familiar to Oliver. Suddenly, it clicked. "That's where Lee Jordan lives!" he exclaimed. "Lee's a member of the Order too!"  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, young Mr. Jordan is a member, and has graciously allowed us to use his home as headquarters. You will meet the other members of the Order soon enough. We have a meeting at 9:00 on Friday night, at headquarters of course."  
  
Oliver walked into his first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix not quite knowing what to expect. He and Adrianna were greeted warmly as they walked into the finished basement of Lee's house. Oliver was surprised at how many people he knew. All of the Weasleys except for Percy, Ginny and Fred were there. Ginny was too young to be in the Order, and Oliver knew that Fred was still on his honeymoon with Angelina, but he had no idea why Percy wasn't there. There was Remus Lupin, who had been his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher when he was a seventh year, and Alastor "Mad-eye" Moody. Oliver had seen pictures of Moody before but had never actually met him. Moody had been a famous auror in his younger days. Then of course there was Harry Potter, and standing near him was a bushy-haired girl that Oliver recognized as Hermione Granger. Minerva McGonagall was talking seriously with a witch that Oliver didn't know. There were some other people that Oliver didn't know, but he didn't get a chance to meet any of them right away because Dumbledore asked everyone to find a seat and called the meeting to order.  
  
"Will the Scribe please review the minutes from last meeting?" he asked.  
  
Hermione Granger cleared her throat softly. "The meeting was called to order, the minutes were reviewed, and roll was called. Arthur Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks gave reports on the status of their assignments. A memorial was held for Severus Snape and Rubeus Hagrid. Members of the Order voted to extend an invitation for membership to Oliver Wood and Adrianna Brighton. New assignments were issued to Bill Weasley and Angelina Johnson, and the meeting was adjourned.  
  
Dumbledore proceeded to take roll, making a note on a piece of parchment if someone was absent without an excuse. When he reached the end of the list, he addressed the entire group. "Members of the Order of the Phoenix, Oliver Wood and Adrianna Brighton wish to gain entry into the Order. Since they already know all about us, it would be rather foolish to deny them membership. Does anyone motion for them to become new members?"  
  
"I motion," said Charlie Weasley.  
  
"Does anyone second the motion?"  
  
"I second," replied Minerva McGonagall.  
  
"Motion passed. Members of the Order, I present new members Oliver Wood and Adrianna Brighton."  
  
The room was filled with applause. When it died down, Mad-eye Moody spoke.  
  
"Why did you select them, Dumbledore? They both used to be high-profile quidditch players, which will make them easily recognizable. They're both Hogwarts teachers, which will make them still more recognizable. There's no chance of them going undercover to gather information."  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Relax Alastor. Perhaps you have so soon forgotten, but they both helped to defeat Lord Voldemort as well. That takes a considerable amount of talent, if you ask me. Now, you may know that Adrianna is a teacher, but what you did not know is that she is a pupil as well. She is taking advantage of the fact that she is at my school to take private lessons with me once a week in very advanced subjects..."  
  
"So that's why she's been spending so much time in Dumbledore's office," Oliver thought to himself.  
  
"...Her ability to speak both Mermish and Gobbledygook is increasing rapidly, and I believe that even you, dear Moody, would be impressed with how accomplished she has become in occlumency."  
  
"What about the boy?" inquired a witch that Oliver didn't know. "His last name is Wood; that family has been full of elitists for generations. What makes you so sure that he can be trusted?"  
  
"Well, he's dating a muggle born witch. I don't think he would be doing that if he were an elitist," Dumbledore responded.  
  
"Do you have assignments for them yet?" asked a young witch with bubblegum pink hair.  
  
"Right now I just want them to keep serving the school as they have been since the beginning of the year. Perhaps when school lets out for the summer I will give them something a bit more demanding. That was an excellent question by the way, Tonks."  
  
After a few more questions had been answered, a couple of Order members gave reports on the status of their assignments and then the meeting was adjourned. 


	29. Friendly competiton

Saturday, May tenth was the scheduled date for Sing 'n' Swing. It was three weeks before the start of NEWTs (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) so that the seventh years would have plenty of time to prepare. The week leading up to the event, Oliver could hear the students buzzing excitedly about it in the corridors between classes.  
  
He barely saw Adrianna that week because she was going crazy trying to coordinate practices and do everything that needed to be done in order for the event to take place. In fact, the only times he saw her were at meals. She went to bed long after him and was already gone when he woke up in the morning. The longest conversation he had with her that week lasted about ten minutes when she asked him if he'd like to be a judge, which he agreed to do.  
  
Finally, Saturday arrived. Each house had a final dress rehearsal during the day, and the sixth and seventh years went back to their common rooms to get ready for the evening ahead. By seven o'clock that evening, the Great Hall was filled with students in first through fifth years, teachers, and parents who had come to watch. The judges seated themselves at a table in front of the stage. In addition to himself there were Fleur, Seamus, Minerva, and another witch that Oliver had never met.  
  
A few minutes after seven, Adrianna took the stage. She was wearing a cute blue-green floral print dress that had a rather low cut v-neck and white strappy high heeled sandals. She wore her hair down and had made it stick straight so that it almost reached her waist.  
  
"Good evening ladies and gentleman, and welcome to the first annual Hogwarts Sing 'n' Swing!" she announced, her voice magically magnified so that it filled the room. "I am Professor Adrianna Brighton, the Muggle Studies teacher here at Hogwarts. The production that you are about to see is in place of a final examination in my sixth and seventh year classes, so the students have worked really hard to put on a good show for you and to earn a good grade as well. Their assignment was to choose a Muggle song from within the last five years, choreograph a dance routine to the music, and choose students from their own house to perform the lyrics. They are permitted to use magic, so long as it enhances the performance and does not detract from it. Now, before we get started, I just like to introduce our judges this evening: Mr. Oliver Wood, Professor Fleur Delacour, Professor Seamus Finnegan, Professor Minerva McGonagall, and, our special guest judge this evening, Celestina Warbeck, the famous singing sorceress!"  
  
The Great Hall was filled with applause and cheers. When it died down, Adrianna continued.  
  
"Each of the five judges may award anywhere from one to five points to each house for their performance. Whichever house has the most points at the end of the competition wins. The order of performance was randomly selected this evening. So, without further ado, I give you Gryffindor house, performing to the song "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z!"  
  
The curtain opened to reveal the Gryffindor boys on one side of the stage, the girls on the other. The guys all wore baggy jeans, sneakers and plain white tees, while the girls wore colorful camisole tops and either denim skirts or denim shorts. In the front of the group was a boy dressed in a loose jersey, baggy jeans, a pair of Timberland boots and a huge gold medallion necklace to look like Jay-Z. Right next to him was a girl wearing a sheer paisley peasant top with a cami underneath, a short denim skirt and a pair of large silver hoop earrings. The music started just as the curtains disappeared behind the sides of the stage, and soon the Gryffindors had started their dance and the two in front were singing.  
  
As Oliver watched the Gryffindors performing, he heard a constant, annoying clicking in the background and realized that Colin Creevy must be taking photos. He wondered for a moment why Colin wasn't up on stage, but then he remembered that Colin was muggle born and therefore did not have to take Muggle Studies.  
  
He looked down at a little slip of parchment that Adrianna had given each of the judges titled "Things to consider". Oliver quickly read down the list. The Gryffindors had done a good job with costumes, choreography and singing, but the only props were a couple of stools that they'd used during the dance. Everything seemed to be school appropriate. He made a few notes and wrote down a "4" as his score for Gryffindor.  
  
As the curtain was closing on Gryffindor, Adrianna took the stage once again. "Let's have a round of applause for Gryffindor!" she called. The younger Gryffindors went wild, the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws applauded politely, and the Slytherins scowled.  
  
"While we're waiting for the next house to set up, I'd like to take a minute to thank first-year Rob Jordan, who's serving as our sound coordinator tonight," she continued when the cheering had died down a little.  
  
She pointed to a booth in the back of the hall where Rob was prepping the music for the next group. The older Gryffindors had filed out from backstage and were seating themselves near their housemates as everyone turned to look at Rob. As he turned to face front again, Oliver saw a hand poking out from behind the curtain giving Adrianna the thumbs-up sign.  
  
"Well, I think they're ready now... Here's Ravenclaw house, performing the song "Ojos Así by Shakira!"  
  
Oliver didn't understand any of the words to the song, but he felt that the Ravenclaws performance was far more captivating than the performance that the Gryffindors had just given. The performance started with only a handful of people on the stage. There were a few girls in long, earth-toned skirts and cream colored halter tops, a few shirtless boys wearing black pants. In the middle, there was a girl with long blonde hair in loose spiral curls wearing a red halter top and red flared pants with what seemed like a train flowing behind her.  
  
After the first few bars, the girl in red began to sing and another handful of students dressed like those already on stage entered from both wings and began playing conga drums in sync with the prerecorded music. As the song progressed, more students entered the stage from both wings and gathered around the train of the girl in red. As they danced they picked up the train, revealing that it was really made of several individual lengths of fabric. The students spread out in a semicircle behind the girl in red, creating a pinwheel effect with the lengths of material. Oliver thought that it was a really cool visual effect. There was an instrumental interlude in the song, during which all of the Ravenclaw boys crossed the back of the stage bearing burning torches. Most of the girls were either dancing or playing the conga drums, but there was one girl off to the side of the stage playing a flute and the girl in red was in the front of the dancers, leading them. The song ended in an explosion of dancing, music and multicolored sparks being shot from the wands of the students, and applause erupted throughout the Great Hall. Oliver jotted down a 5 for Ravenclaw's score, as he had been very impressed by the performance and could see no reason to dock any points.  
  
Adrianna walked on stage again as the curtain closed and talked for a few minutes to give the next house some time to set up. Again he saw a hand give Adrianna the thumbs up from behind the curtain, and then Adrianna announced the next group: "Here's Hufflepuff house performing 'Wild Wild West' by Will Smith!  
  
Oliver was very impressed with the opening scene that met his eyes as the curtain opened. There was a gigantic iron W near the back of the stage, the outline of it aflame. Next to that was a wagon with a tattered cover, and on the other side of the W was a tumbleweed and a potted cactus. Three figures walked through the flames toward the front of the stage, and Oliver realized that they must have cast a flame-freezing charm so that they would feel a gentle tickling sensation rather than catching fire as they passed through the flame.  
  
The three figures were all male, wearing all black and dressed in American cowboy costumes. The costume of the boy in the middle was complete with six guns. All of the other boys were dressed in tuxedos with top hats and jackets with tails. The girls were dressed in brightly colored corset style tops, knee length black skirts that flared out around them when they spun, and ankle boots that buttoned up the sides.  
  
The chorography surpassed anything that Oliver had seen so far. He couldn't even imagine how many hours the Hufflepuffs had put into this performance. One part that really stood out to him was a part that went "10 paces and turn, just for fun, son,". There, everyone on stage hit the ground as the boy who was portraying Will Smith pulled the trigger on a cap gun, the guys assuming protective positions over the girls. There was evidence of more magic throughout the performance, but in no way did it detract from it.  
  
Oliver knew that Hufflepuffs were typically hard workers, but he had never expected them to pull off such a stunning performance. When they had finished, Oliver jotted down a five for Hufflepuff without hesitation. His only regret was that he couldn't score them higher.  
  
Once again, Adrianna took the stage and talked for a few minutes before introducing the final group. "This is Slytherin house, performing 'Dirrty' by Christina Aguilera!"  
  
Oliver did not enjoy the Slytherin performance one bit. He supposed they had worked hard on the choreography, and the girl they had chosen to sing the lyrics did have a good voice, but both the costumes and the choreography were totally inappropriate for a school performance.  
  
The girls all wore heavy makeup and clothing that made them look as though they belonged on a street corner and not on a stage in front of their classmates, professors and parents. The dance moves were very suggestive, and they went from bad to worse as the song progressed. At one point in the song some of the boys shot jets of water out of their wands, drenching the girls and the stage. To make matters worse, the girls began crawling toward the front of the stage through the water.  
  
Oliver was so appalled that he just sat in shock for a few seconds after the performance was over. He knew that the Slytherins were willing to use any means to achieve their end, but this time their scheme had backfired. No teacher in their right mind would give a performance like that a high score. In the end, Oliver wrote down a 3 for their score. His basis for taking away points was the issue of school appropriateness, but he had to admit that they had put in a lot of effort.  
  
Adrianna resumed her position on stage once again after the curtain had closed on the Slytherins. "That was some show from the Slytherins, wasn't it? How about a big round of applause for all of the students that performed tonight?"  
  
The Great Hall burst into applause as Adrianna motioned for the sixth and seventh years to stand. When the students had resumed their seats and the applause subsided, Adrianna began to speak again.  
  
"It will be just a few minutes until the final scores are tallied. While we're waiting, I'd like to take this opportunity-"  
  
But they never found out what Adrianna wanted to take the opportunity to do, because she was cut off by another song that began to blare over the sound system: 'Because I Got High' by Afroman.  
  
The song was not sung by just a handful of students, or even by just one house. Instead, it appeared that the whole school was in on the prank. Oliver had to admit, it was quite amusing. He looked at Adrianna, who was still standing in the middle of the stage. He could tell that she didn't know whether to be furious or to laugh. Some of the parents present looked surprised that the students would sing such a song, while others looked mildly amused. Among the other teachers the reactions were mixed as well. When the song finally ended, Adrianna seemed to regain some of her composure.  
  
"That was... interesting, and certainly not planned. I believe that we're ready to announce the results of the competition now," she said, summoning a sealed roll of parchment from the judges table.  
  
"In fourth place, with 14 points... Slytherin!" There was some applause from the area where the Slytherins sat, but the other students didn't even bother to cheer.  
  
"In third place, with 20 points... Gryffindor!" The Slytherins were the only ones who didn't clap after the third place announcement.  
  
"And in second place, with 24 out of a possible 25 points... Ravenclaw! Hufflepuff is our winner with a perfect score!"  
  
At first the Hufflepuffs just looked at each other in disbelief. Hufflepuff never won anything; not the House Cup, not the Quidditch Cup. But as the reality sank in, cheers and shouts began to erupt and the Hufflepuff students looked as though Christmas had come seven months early. Oliver was certain that there was going to be a party in the Hufflepuff common room that night.  
  
The next weekend was an event that everyone in the school had been looking forward to all year: the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup Final. Oliver barely had time to eat or sleep as the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws practiced nearly every waking moment the week leading up to the match. He heard a lot of good-natured teasing between the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws that week.  
  
It was much better than when he'd been a student and the championship was between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Things had been so bad then that Oliver, being the captain, refused to allow his seeker Harry to walk to class without a bunch of students escorting him for his protection. There had actually been fist fights and wizards duels in the corridors then.  
  
Saturday morning was warm and sunny, a perfect day for a quidditch match. Oliver dressed in his striped referee robes and had a quick breakfast before walking out to the quidditch pitch, carrying the chest containing the quaffle, bludgers and golden snitch. Shortly thereafter, the teams walked onto the pitch for the start of the match, the Gryffindors in scarlet robes and the Ravenclaws in robes of deep blue. Sofie and Natalie shook hands and smiled at each other.  
  
"Good luck, and may the best team win," said Oliver as he released the bludgers and the snitch. Both teams mounted their brooms, and the game began as Oliver tossed the quaffle into the air and mounted his own broomstick to referee the game. Oliver listened to Rob Jordan's commentary as he watched the match.  
  
"Now it's Ginny Weasley with the quaffle... she passes to- oh, and it's intercepted by Sofie Grant! Grant's making her way up the pitch... come on Gryffindor, where's your defense? She shoots... oh no good, it's blocked by Natalie MacDonald! Watch out for that bludger, Sofie! That was a well-aimed bludger hit by Corky Bell..."  
  
And so the commentary went. Oliver found that this was a rather easy game to ref, as both teams were willing to comply with the rules and play a fair game. For a while neither team scored, but finally Sofie Grant was able to score the first goal for Ravenclaw. After she scored, the Gryffindors fought back aggressively and managed to score 3 goals in a row. The game continued for several hours with each team scoring occasionally, but it was a close match and neither team was able to produce much of a lead over the other.  
  
Suddenly, the Ravenclaw seeker sped toward his own goalposts, and Oliver saw something tiny glinting near the middle hoop. The Gryffindor seeker had been watching the match below and hadn't noticed that the Ravenclaw seeker was after the snitch. Natalie yelled at him, and he took off after the Ravenclaw seeker. Gryffindor would have already been out of the running if their seeker didn't have a better broomstick than the Ravenclaw seeker, but since he did have a faster broom the Gryffindor seeker was able to catch up to the Ravenclaw seeker. He pulled ahead at the last possible second and captured the tiny snitch in his right hand.  
  
"Gryffindor wins for the fifth year straight, 240 to 110 points!" Rob exclaimed, leaping for joy. He was so excited that he turned around and hugged Professor McGonagall, who was sitting right behind him.  
  
Oliver grinned as he flew back to the ground. Technically speaking he wasn't supposed to choose sides, but he couldn't help but feel proud that Gryffindor had won. 


	30. Now and forever

The last couple of weeks of the school year went by in a blur of review activities, and then the students took their final examinations. For the practical exam, Oliver made his students demonstrate their beater, chaser, keeper and seeker skills. Of course each student had their strengths and weaknesses, but Oliver was mainly interested in seeing that the students knew what was expected of each position. He didn't plan to grade them on how well they could perform the actions.  
  
The written exam covered topics such as the origins of the flying broomstick, the development of the game of quidditch, and broomstick games other then quidditch, particularly those played in other countries. After the final exam period ended, Oliver and Adrianna graded their exams together in the comfortable silence of Adrianna's rooms. The only interruption was the occasional purr from Chip as he stretched out on the coffee table, watching them lazily.  
  
Adrianna had learned from past experience how hard it was to grade exams by hand, so she had made a multiple choice and true/false answer key and then bewitched the stack of exams to grade themselves. She had also eased the load by not having to grade exams for her sixth and seventh years since they had performed at Sing 'n' Swing. Oliver had included some essay questions in his exam, so he didn't have the luxury of allowing his exams to mark themselves.  
  
They finally finished grading their exams two days after the students had finished taking them, which meant that they could spend the last couple of days of the term outdoors basking in the hot June sunshine like the students had been doing since the beginning of the week. They went for walks, played some one-on-one quidditch, and even went swimming in the lake despite the fact that a giant squid resided there.  
  
Oliver planned something very special for Adrianna on the second-to-last night of the term. He kept it a total secret from her, telling her only that he wanted to take her out for an end of the year dinner and that she should dress in a nice set of robes. He dressed in a set of charcoal gray robes, and then went to her rooms to pick her up so that they could walk to Hogsmeade before disapparating.  
  
She looked absolutely stunning in a set of dark red robes and tan colored high heeled boots. She was wearing the necklace that he'd given her for Christmas along with a pair of small gold hoop earrings. She had pulled back half of her long, golden blonde hair and had curled the bottom of it. The makeup that she had applied complimented her natural beauty.  
  
"You look amazing," Oliver said softly.  
  
"You look rather handsome yourself," she replied with a smile. He took her hand, and together they left the castle and walked towards Hogsmeade.  
  
"So where are you taking me?" she asked as they walked.  
  
"Diagon Alley," he replied, trying not to give anything away.  
  
"Where specifically on Diagon Alley?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
They apparated to Diagon Alley, right in front of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Oliver took Adrianna by the hand and led her down the cobblestone street, which was filled with shoppers and some other couples who looked as though they might be going to dinner as well. They stopped in front of a restaurant that they had been to only once before.  
  
"Weatherby's Inn! Oliver, this is where you brought me for our first date!" Adrianna exclaimed when she realized where they were.  
  
Oliver just smiled and nodded in acknowledgement as he held the door open for his girlfriend. "Reservation for Wood," he said to the hostess after they had crossed the elegant foyer. When he was certain that Adrianna wasn't looking, he slipped a small box into the hand of the hostess.  
  
The hostess led them to a table for two in a back corner of the restaurant. Oliver heard a violin playing softly in the background, creating a romantic atmosphere. He and Adrianna talked for a few minutes before the waiter came and asked what they wanted to drink. Oliver ordered a bottle of champagne for them, and the waiter left again. He returned shortly with two glasses and the requested bottle of champagne. He poured a glass for each of them before taking their order for dinner. Oliver ordered lamb chops, and Adrianna ordered filet mignon with mixed garden vegetables.  
  
"I can't believe the school year is almost over," Adrianna said softly. "It seemed to go by so fast."  
  
"Do you have any plans for this summer?" asked Oliver.  
  
"Not really. I suppose I'll just go back home and get a job for the summer."  
  
"Maybe you could come and visit me sometime," Oliver offered.  
  
"I don't think your Dad would be too pleased if I came to stay at his house for any length of time."  
  
"You wouldn't have to stay at his house. I have my own house, didn't I ever tell you? I left home as soon as I'd earned enough money playing quidditch to buy my own place. It's been vacant the whole school year, but I'm going to live in it again this summer."  
  
"Oh, well in that case, I'd love to visit."  
  
"Why do you still live at home? You played for the American national team, I'm assuming they paid you pretty well. You could afford your own place, couldn't you?"  
  
"I wish. But I had a ton of student loans to pay back, and that took care of all of my quidditch earnings. I went to a muggle college, remember? But I guess I never really needed a place of my own. I lived in the dormitories at college and now I live at Hogwarts during the school year, so it doesn't make much sense for me to have a place when I'd only use it two months out of the year."  
  
The waiter returned with a tray that held two covered dishes and sat one of the dishes in front of each of them. He removed the cover from Oliver's deliciously prepared lamb chops first. Next, he removed the cover from Adrianna's dish.  
  
A small gasp escaped Adrianna and her eyes grew wide and filled with emotion at what she saw. Instead of filet mignon, there was a small black velvet box that had been opened to reveal a stunning one karat diamond engagement ring. Oliver got down on one knee in front of Adrianna and picked the ring up off of the plate, and then took her right hand gently in his own.  
  
"I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. I cannot picture my future without seeing you by my side, and without you I would be incomplete. Adrianna Brighton, will you marry me?"  
  
At first she couldn't say anything at all. Her eyes were filled with tears of happiness that threatened to spill over her lashes at any moment. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you," she replied, unable to hold back the tears as he slipped the ring on her finger.  
  
THE END  
  
Thanks for reading! There is a sequel called Ian's Story, please read it if you liked this story. 


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